Series: COG

Political Topics with Edmon Marukyan - February 18, 2022

Topics:

• Constitutional Change Commission
• Artsakh Law on Occupied Territories
• State of Bright Armenia Party
• Turkish-Armenian Normalization

Guest:

• Edmon Marukyan, who is a lawyer by profession and the leader of the Bright Armenia party (Լուսավոր Հայաստան). He was a member of the fifth, sixth and seventh convocations of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia from 2012 till 2021. He’s also a member of the newly formed commission to amend the constitution.

Hosts:

• Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
• Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq

Legal & Human Rights Developments in Armenia A Conversation with Ruben Melikyan

Ruben Melikyan was formerly Artsakh’s Human Rights Ombudsman, and prior to that he was rector of the Justice Academy of Armenia. In 2019, Melikyan co-founded and currently leads the “Path of Law” NGO. Իրավական ուղի in Armenian.

Topics:

• Introduction
• Decisions of the International Court of Justice
• Turkish-Armenian “Normalization”
• More Constitutional Changes
• Civil Contract Appoints new HR Ombudsman for Armenia
• Continuing Harassment of Opposition Leaders
• Legislating Away Civil Liberties

Episode 117 | Recorded on Thursday, February 3, 2022

Armenian Songs for Children Bedros Afeyan talks with Isabel Bayrakdarian

Topics:

• Journey Back to Armenian Music
• Musical Harmony Between Armenian Music and Classical Canon
• Researching, Teaching and Choosing Songs
• Isabel’s Favorites and Influences

Guest:

• Isabel Bayrakdarian @IBsoprano

Hosts:

• Dr. Bedros Afeyan

Song Excerpts list & timestamps: (Note: All excerpts used with permission)

• 00:00 Komitas - Sleep My Child - Lullaby
• 01:35 Komitas - Six Children’s Songs
• 27:03 Ganachian - The Swallow / Tsitsernak
• 29:06 Komitas - Little Wooden Horse
• 41:57 & 45:00 & 46:42

Turkish-Armenian Normalization Negotiations A Conversation with Harut Sassounian

• Harut Sassounian has been the publisher of The California Courier newspaper since 1983. He is also the President of the Armenia Artsakh Fund, a non-profit organization which has delivered to Armenia and Artsakh $947 million of humanitarian assistance since 1989. He is currently engaged in forming the Diaspora Armenian Parliament through local elections.

Topics:

• History of Turkish-Armenian Attempts at Negotiations
• Who are The Players?
• Why Now? What’s on the Agenda?
• What are the Pitfalls and Opportunities?

Thirty Years After the USSR

• Dr. Pietro Shakarian is a Lecturer in history at the American University of Armenia in Yerevan. His research focuses on the history of Eastern Armenia and the Caucasus, especially Soviet Armenia during the era of Nikita Khrushchev’s Thaw. His analyses on Russia and the former Soviet region have appeared in The Nation, The Plain Dealer, the Russian International Affairs Council, Hetq, and more.

Topics:

• How did the USSR Dissolve, who were the personalities behind it?
• Did Ethnic Nationalism Have a Hand in it?
• Did Ronald Reagan Defeat the Soviet Union?
• What are the

Anar Valiyev and Benyamin Poghosyan discuss stumbling blocks in post-war negotiations

Guests:

• Dr. Anar Valiyev, Associate Professor at Azerbaijani Diplomatic Academy (ADA) University in Baku.
• Dr. Benyamin Poghosyan, Chairman of Yerevan-based think tank Center for Political and Economic Strategic Studies.

Topics:

• Artsakh Status (@4:54)
• Is the conflict really “solved” (@11:04)
• Opening of Communications (@38:52)
• Corridor for Corridor (@46:32)
• “Unimpeded” Access (@50:15)
• Russia’s regional role (@53:16)
• Turkey’s regional role (@58:48)
• 3+3 or 3+2 Format

State of the Armenian Economy A Conversation with Vardan Aramyan - November 21, 2021

• Mr. Vardan Aramyan is the former Minister of Finance of the Republic of Armenia from 2016-2018. He is currently Senior Vice President for Finance and Economy at Vallex Group in Yerevan.

Topics:

• 2022 Budget and Economic Growth @1:24
  • Did Armenian economy recover already? @3:55
  • Does the structure of growth mirror worldwide growth @8:55
  • What happens if growth doesn’t meet target @14:25
  • Why did the IMF underestimate Armenian growth initially @17:38
• Growth Sectors in Budget @23:41
  • Are prices for

Talking with Alison Tahmizian Meuse - TW/@AliTahmizian - November 17, 2021

• Alison Tahmizian Meuse is a graduate of the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs. She is a French and Arabic speaker, and a veteran Middle East journalist, having worked over the past decade as a producer, correspondent and editor for major international publications including Agence France-Presse, NPR, and the Asia Times. She currently serves as a strategic advisor for the New Delhi-based consultancy DeepStrat and is newly based in Yerevan.

Topics:

• The drive to cover dangerous

The State of Affairs in Lebanon A Conversation with Dr. Ohannes Geukjian and Vera Yacoubian

Topics:

• A year after the Beirut Explosion, what’s the state of investigations?
• Has Anyone been held Accountable?
• Who are the Internal and External Players in Lebanon?
• What’s the State and Future of the Armenian Community in Lebanon?

Guests:

• Dr. Ohannes Geukjian
• Vera Yacoubian

Hosts:

• Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
• Katia Peltekian TW/@KatiaPeltekian

Episode 98: Recorded on Saturday, November 6, 2021 Show notes: https://groong.org/podcasts/CoG-20211108.html