Series: Wir

Groong Links:

• linktr.ee/Groong

Guest:

• Benyamin Poghosyan

Topics:

• Armenia’s Security in Danger
• Munich Security Conference
• Relations with Regional Allies

Episode 310 | Recorded: February 18, 2024

Groong Links:

• linktr.ee/Groong

Guest:

• Hrant Mikaelian

Topics:

• Yerevan City Politics
• Aliyev “Elections”
• Armenia-Georgia Strategic Partnership
• Latest MPG Poll Review

Episode 309 | Recorded: Feb 11, 2024

Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - Feb 4, 2024

Groong Links:

• linktr.ee/Groong

Guest:

• Varuzhan Geghamyan

Topics:

• Diplomatic Flurry
  • Raisi in Ankara
  • Raisi in Moscow
  • Putin in Ankara
• Aliyev’s Constitution for Armenia
• How can the Opposition become a consequential force?

Episode 306 | Recorded: February 3, 2024

Groong Links:

• linktr.ee/Groong

Guest:

• Anna Karapetyan

Topics:

• Armenia Azerbaijan Negotiations
• Is Armenia Rearming itself?
• Pashinyan and the Constitution

Episode 305 | Recorded: January 29, 2024

Groong Links:

• linktr.ee/Groong

Guest:

• Yeghia Tashjian

Topics:

• World in Conflict
  • Ukraine, Israel-Gaza, Middle East
• Armenia Azerbaijan Negotiations
• Prognosis for 2024
• Thoughts from the Participants

Episode 304 | Recorded: January 22, 2024

Groong Links:

• linktr.ee/Groong

Guest:

• Karen Vrtanesyan

Topics:

• “Forced Illusion of Normalcy”
• Political Prisoners and Judicial Harassment
• Negotiations and “Peace Treaty”
• Armenia’s Military Capacity
• What Need to be Done?
• Thoughts from the Participants

Episode 302 | Recorded: January 14, 2024

Groong Links:

• linktr.ee/Groong

Guest:

• Tevan Poghosyan

Topics:

• Public TV Cancels Catholicos New Year’s Address
• Governor Hunting Season
• “Zangezur corridor” redux; “Peace treaty”
• Thoughts from the Participants
  • Podcasts, labels, and language of division

Episode 301 | Recorded: January 8, 2023

Groong Links:

• linktr.ee/Groong

Guest:

• Benyamin Poghosyan

Topics:

• Artsakh President Annuls Dissolution of Republic
• Insecurity without Borders
• Pashinyan in St. Petersburg
• Year-end 2023 Predictions Review
• Predictions for 2024

Episode 300 | Recorded: December 31, 2023

Groong Links:

• linktr.ee/Groong

Guest:

• Arthur G. Martirosyan

Topics:

• Negotiations
  • Strategy, Prisoner Exchange, “Point Zero”
• The West’s Interests
• Israel-Gaza Conflict

Episode 299 | Recorded: December 18, 2023

Groong Links:

• linktr.ee/Groong

Guest:

• Sergei Melkonian

Topics:

• “No Peace” Treaty Negotiations
  • Turkish-Azeri goal: Demilitarized Armenia (aka Batumi Treaty 2.0)
  • Humiliating Swap of Azeri Criminals for Armenian Hostages
• Aliyev Calls for Snap Elections
• Russia-Armenian Relations
• Russia-Ukraine War

Episode 297 | Recorded: December 10, 2023

Groong Links:

• linktr.ee/Groong

Guest:

• Benyamin Poghosyan

Topics:

• Armenian-Azerbaijani Negotiations
• Armenian Diplomacy in the West
• Relations with Russia

Episode 296 | Recorded: December 3, 2023

Groong Links:

• linktr.ee/Groong

Guest:

• Hrant Mikaelian

Topics:

• Armenian Foreign Policy Vectors
• Latest MPG Poll Result Analysis
• Armenian Economy and 2024 Budget

Episode 295 | Recorded: Nov 15, 2023

Guest:

• Tevan Poghosyan

Topics:

• Crossroads of Peace
• 3+3=5 in Tehran
• Relations with Russia
• Defense Deal with France
• Artsakh Status

Episode 291 | Recorded: October 31, 2023

Guest:

• Yeghia Tashjian

Topics:

• Aftermath of the Ethnic Cleansing of Artsakh
  • Shahramanyan meets Protesters
  • “Rights & Security”
  • Government-in-Exile
• Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
  • Ripple Effects to the South Caucasus
  • Effects in the Middle East
  • Lebanon & the Armenian Community

Episode 288 | Recorded: October 22, 2023

Guest:

• Benyamin Poghosyan

Topics:

• At the Brink of a New War?
• Relations with Russia
• Platform Shuffle: Brussels vs. Moscow
• Update on Yerevan Mayor

Episode 286 | Recorded: October 17, 2023

Guest:

• Sergei Melkonian

Topics:

• Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Flares Up
• The Future of Artsakh and Artsakhtsis
• Armenian-Azerbaijani Negotiations

Episode 284 | Recorded: October 9, 2023

Guest:

• Arthur G. Martirosyan

Topics:

• Artsakh Surrenders, Armenia Watches
• What “Peace Treaty” in Granada?
• Arrested Artsakh Leaders Held Hostage

Episode 281 | Recorded: October 1, 2023

Guest:

• Hrant Mikaelian

Topics:

• Azerbaijan Attacks Artsakh
• Genocide in Progress

Episode 280 | Recorded: Sep 25, 2023

Guest:

• Benyamin Poghosyan

Topics:

• Developments in Artsakh
• Geopolitics in the South Caucasus

Episode 278 | Recorded: September 10, 2023

Guest:

• Arthur Khachikyan

Topics:

• Yerevan Mayoral Elections
• Artsakh Domestic Developments
• Developments in Geopolitics and Negotiations

Episode 277 | Recorded: Sep 3, 2023

Guest:

• Tevan Poghosyan

Topics:

• UNSC Meeting on Artsakh
• Artsakh Internal Developments
• Yerevan Elections

Episode 275 | Recorded: August 22, 2023

Guest:

• Hrant Mikaelian

Topics:

• Situation in Artsakh
• Yerevan Elections Heating Up
• July MPG Survey Outtakes
• August MPG Survey Outtakes
• Baku Poll
• Thoughts on the Economy

Episode 273 | Recorded: August 15, 2023

Guest:

• Sergei Melkonian

Topics:

• War of Words with Russia
• Iran’s Diplomatic Perspective
• Armenian-Azerbaijani Negotiations
• Artsakh: New Parliament Speaker

Episode 272 | Recorded: August 7, 2023

Guest:

• Yeghia Tashjian

Topics:

• Armenian Azerbaijani Negotiations
• Azerbaijani Propaganda in Shushi
• Situation in Artsakh

Episode 271 | Recorded: July 31, 2023

Guest:

• Hrant Mikaelian

Topics:

• Latest on Armenian Azerbaijani Negotiations
• Economic State in Armenia
• September Yerevan Mayoral Elections
• Estimating the War Dead
• Hayaqve [.am]

Episode 269 | Recorded: July 17, 2023

Guest:

• Benyamin Poghosyan

Topics:

• Armenia Azerbaijan Negotiations
• US, Armenian NSC Advisors Meet
• New MPG Poll
• Haya-Qve [.am]

Episode 268 | Recorded: July 10, 2023

Guest:

• Arthur G. Martirosyan

Topics:

• Armenian Azerbaijan Negotiations Continue
  • Negotiations in DC: chances of progress
  • Vartan Oskanian on negotiations
  • Rights and Security
  • Self-Determination for Artsakh
  • Border Demarcation
  • No Unblocking or Guarantees
• Hayaqve.am
• Rants

Episode 266 | Recorded: July 4, 2023

Guest:

• Tevan Poghosyan

Topics:

• Concrete Barriers On Hakari Bridge
• Erdogan visit to Azerbaijan
• Lukashenko at the CSTO
• Putin Defuses Wagnerian Opera
• Pashinyan 44-Day War Testimony in Parliament
• HayaQve [.am]

Episode 264 | Recorded: June 27, 2023

Guest:

• Hrant Mikaelian

Topics:

• Erdogan Reshuffles Cabinet, First Visit to Baku
• Latest Developments in Armenia-Azerbaijan Negotiations, Baku Postpones
• Economic Developments, More Subsidies to IT Sector
• MPG Poll: Pashinyan’s Rating is Falling

Episode 252 | Recorded: June 12, 2023

Guest:

• Sergei Melkonian

Topics:

• Armenian Azerbaijani Negotiations Continue
  • You say Chisinau, I say Kishinev
  • Deputy PMs Meet in Moscow
• Israeli President Visits Azerbaijan
• Pashinyan Attends Erdogan’s Inauguration
• Armenia-Russia Relations

Episode 260 | Recorded: June 5, 2023

Guest:

• Arthur Khachikyan

Topics:

• Armenia celebrates May 28
  • A new political movement, Mother Armenia, was announced.
• Aliyev Threatens, Pashinyan Concedes
• Erdogan Reelected President in Turkey
• Goodbye CSTO, Hello NATO?

Episode 257 | Recorded: May 30, 2023

Guest:

• Tevan Poghosyan

Topics:

• Accelerated Negotiations
  • Negotiations Carousel
  • Meghri Railway
  • Russia Finances Rasht-Astara
  • Rallies in Artsakh and Kornidzor
• Artsakh Domestic Politics

Episode 256 | Recorded: May 22, 2023

Guest:

• Benyamin Poghosyan

Topic:

• Pashinyan, Aliyev, Michel Meet in Brussels
  • Azerbaijan Attacks Sotk
• Turkish Presidential Elections

Episode 255 | Recorded: May 15, 2023

Guest:

• Hrant Mikaelian

Topics:

• Armenia-Azerbaijan Negotiations Continue
• Latest IRI Armenia Poll Results
• Armenian Census 2022 - Preliminary Results

Episode 252 | Recorded: May 9, 2023

Guest:

• Arthur Khachikyan

Topics:

• Azerbaijan Officially Blocks Berdzor/Lachin Corridor
• Update on Armenian-Azeri Negotiations
• Drug Use Epidemic in Armenia

Episode 251 | Recorded: May 1, 2023

Guest:

• Arthur G. Martirosyan

Topics:

• Armenian Genocide: 108 Anniversary
• Azerbaijan Strangles Artsakh
  • Artsakh Strangled
  • International Community
  • Pashinyan’s Parliament Speech
  • Madrid Principles
  • Aliyev Continues Threats, Ultimatum to Artsakh Armenians
  • What Can Diaspora Do?
• Israel - Azerbaijan cooperation against Iran?
• Rants

Episode 249 | Recorded: April 25, 2023

Guest:

• Anna Kostanyan

Topics:

• Intro to Anna Kostanyan and Hamakhmbum (Consolidation) Movement
• New HR Ombudswoman Anahit Manasyan
• Azeri Attacks and Infiltrations into Armenia
• Yerevan Mayor-less Until End of 2023 Elections

Episode 248 | Recorded: April 16, 2023

Guest:

• Suren Sargsyan

Topic:

• Azerbaijan Invades, Pashinyan “Explains”
• Armenia at the Democracy Summit
• Armenia and the Rome Statute
• Iran FM in Moscow, Azeri FM in Israel

Episode 242 | Recorded: April 3, 2023

Guest:

• Benyamin Poghosyan

Topic:

• Azerbaijani Attacks over the Weekend
• East and West
• Armenia and the Rome Statute

Episode 241 | Recorded: March 26, 2023

Guest:

• Tevan Poghosyan

Topics:

• Pashinyan’s Press Conference
• Negotiating with Belligerent Azerbaijan
• Mirzoyan in Moscow
• Mayoral Politics in Yerevan

Episode 240 | Recorded: March 20, 2023

Guest:

• Hrant Mikaelian

Topics:

• Armenia-Azerbaijan Negotiations Continue
  • Developments in Artsakh
  • No “Peace” without “Rights and Security”?
  • Armenia Downgrades CSTO Relations
• Georgian Law on Foreign Agents
• Reflections on MPG Poll “AmotiSar” Results

Episode 237 | Recorded: March 12, 2023

Guest:

• Yeghia Tashjian

Topics:

• Turkish Politics after the Earthquake
• Artsakh Blockade and Developments
• Armenian Diplomatic Developments
• Egyptian President’s Visit to Armenia

Episode 234 | Recorded: March 5, 2023

Guest:

• Arthur Khachikyan

Topics:

• 35th Anniversary of the Sumgait Pogroms
• Turkey after the Earthquake
• One Year Anniversary of the War in Ukraine
• Azerbaijan-Armenian Negotiations Continue
• Personal topics

Episode 232 | Recorded: February 28, 2023

Guest:

• Anna Karapetyan

Topics:

• 35th Anniversary of the Karabakh Movement
• Russia Warns the EU and Armenia
• Armenian Azerbaijani Negotiations Continue
• Personal topics

Episode 226 | Recorded: February 19, 2023

Guest:

• Benyamin Poghosyan

Topic:

• Earthquake in Turkey and Syria
• Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict
  • FM Lavrov’s Interview to Russian Media
  • EU vs CSTO Missions
  • Shifting Public Perceptions
• Political Shuffles in Yerevan

Episode 224 | Recorded: February 12, 2023

Guest:

• Arthur G Martirosyan

Topics:

• Army Day - January 28
  • Events at Yerablur
• New EU Monitoring Mission
  • Armenia’s Diplomacy
  • Russia’s Increasing Displeasure
  • Iran’s Tempered Displeasure
• Artsakh Blockade

Episode 219 | Recorded: January 29, 2023

Guest:

• Tevan Poghosyan

Topics:

• Catastrophic Accident in Military Barrack
• New EU Civilian Mission to Armenia
• Armenia-Russia Relations
• Ruben Vardanyan on BBC HARDtalk

Episode 217 | Recorded: January 24, 2023

Guest:

• Hrant Mikaelian , a political scientist and multidisciplinary researcher in social sciences based in Yerevan. He is also a senior researcher at the Caucasus Institute.

Topics:

• Artsakh Update and Politics in Stepanakert
• Pashinyan’s “Press Conference”
• Ministry of Interior Affairs Appointments
• Economic Review and Outlook in 2023
• Personal Comments
  • Hrant - MPG polls results on Armenian Attitudes towards Russia
  • Hovik - Stop the destructive internal politics

Episode 206 | Recorded: January 15, 2023

Guest:

• Benyamin Poghosyan

Topic:

• Hovik’s Reflections from the Artsakh Blockade Interviews
• Is Russia Pressuring Armenia to join a “Union State”?
• Government Bill to Control the Internet During Martial Law
• Highlights and Lowlights from Armenian News in 2022
• Predictions for 2023

Episode 197 | Recorded: January 3, 2023

Guest:

• Yeghia Tashjian

Topic:

• The Artsakh Blockade
  • The Role of the Armenian Government
  • Relations with Russia
  • Latest Draft of “Peace” Proposal
  • Weekend Protests in Artsakh

Episode 194 | Recorded: December 26, 2022

Guest:

• Benyamin Poghosyan

Topics:

• Lachin Corridor Blockade
• Continuing Armenian-Azerbaijani Negotiations
• Turkish-Azerbaijani Military Exercises
• Travel Impressions from the region

Episode 182 | Recorded: December 13, 2022

Guest:

• Arthur G. Martirosyan

Topics:

• Armenia-Azerbaijan Negotiations Continue
  • CSTO Debacle
  • Lavrov Bombshell
  • Lachin Corridor Blockaded
  • Brussels Summit Canceled
• Artsakh President Lays off Government
• Parliamentary Opposition Fragmenting

Episode 181 | Recorded: December 6, 2022

Guest:

• Hrant Mikaelian

Topics:

• How is Armenia’s Economy Doing?
• Armenia-Azerbaijan Negotiations
• French Senate Slams Azerbaijani Occupation of Armenia
• The Opposition Returns to Parliament

Episode 179 | Recorded: November 21, 2022

Guests:

• Arthur Khachikyan
• Gev Iskajyan @GevIskajyan

Topics:

• November 10 “Ceasefire”
  • We’ll talk with our guests in Yerevan and Stepanakert about their perceptions of where we are in terms of ceasing fire, two years later.
• The Peace is Dead, Long Live the Peace
  • We’ll talk about increased war rhetoric from Azerbaijan, threatening Armenia, Russia, Iran, and anyone else who comes to Armenia’s aid. With the pressure increasing and Aliyev’s two-month deadline approaching, we’ll investigate the possibility of renewed war.

Episode 177 | Recorded: November 14, 2022

Guest:

• Arthur G. Martirosyan @ArthurMartirosyan

Topics:

• Latest “Peace” Developments
  • Border Delimitation Discussions in Brussels
  • Meeting of the Foreign Ministers in DC
• Bellicose Statements Between Azerbaijan and Iran
• Ruben Vardanyan Takes Over as State Minister of Artsakh

Episode 175 | Recorded: November 8, 2022

Guests:

• Arthur Khachikyan
• Yeghia Tashjian @Yeghig

Topics:

• Monitors in Armenia
• Russia-West Rivalry in the South Caucasus
• Armenian-Iranian Relations
• Maritime Agreement between Israel and Lebanon
• State of Lebanon’s Presidential Election

Guests:

• Hrant Mikaelian
• Artur Papyan
• Yeghishe Zakunts
• Naira Melikyan

Topics:

• Census in progress in Armenia
• Meetings in Astana
• Developments in Iran
• Armenian websites compromised
• Remembering the TsOR artillery unit

Episode 169 | Recorded: October 17, 2022

Guest:

• Benyamin Poghosyan

Topics:

• Meetings in Prague
• Pashinyan Consolidating Power
• Personal Rants

Episode 167 | Recorded: October 10, 2022

Guest:

• Aram Suren Hamparian
• Rouben Galichian
• Tevan Poghosyan

Topics:

• US-Armenia Relations
• Azerbaijan’s Maps and Claims
• Azerbaijan Continues to Occupy Armenia
• Internal Politics in Armenia

Episode 166 | Recorded: October 1 & 3, 2022

Guests:

• Arthur G. Martirosyan
• Karen Vrtanesyan
• Suren Sargsyan

Topics:

• Azerbaijani Aggression
• Russia and CSTO
• UN & International Reaction
• War Communications (with Karen Vrtanesyan)
• Nancy Pelosi’s Visit (with Suren Sargsyan)

Episode 165 | Recorded: Sunday, September 18, 2022