Azerbaijan

Last updated: June 10, 2026

Azerbaijan is a South Caucasus republic with a population of approximately 10 million and a territory spanning roughly 86,600 square kilometers. The country is governed as a presidential republic under President Ilham Aliyev , who has held power since 2003. Azerbaijan’s economy is heavily dependent on oil and natural gas exports, particularly through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline and the Southern Gas Corridor, which connects Caspian energy reserves to European markets. The capital, Baku, serves as a major regional hub. Azerbaijan is a member of the United Nations, OSCE, and various regional organizations. The country’s Azerbaijani-speaking population is predominantly Muslim. Azerbaijan also includes the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, an exclave separated from mainland Azerbaijan by Armenian territory.

However, international human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have extensively documented systematic human rights abuses in Azerbaijan, including arbitrary detention, torture, suppression of political opposition, restrictions on press freedom, and limitations on civil society. Aliyev’s government maintains tight control over dissent, with opposition politicians, journalists, and activists facing harassment, imprisonment, and violence. The country ranks poorly on freedom indices, with Reporters Without Borders, Freedom House, and Transparency International consistently ranking Azerbaijan among the world’s most repressive states regarding democratic freedoms and rule of law. Prison conditions are documented as harsh, and extrajudicial executions and enforced disappearances have been reported. The state monopoly on media, combined with internet censorship and restrictions on assembly, creates an environment where independent voices face significant risk. These governance practices have been particularly intensified since Aliyev’s re-election in 2018 and remain central to how the regime maintains internal control while projecting external power.

Azerbaijan is a South Caucasus republic whose military campaigns against Armenia in 2020 and 2023 have reshaped the regional balance of power. Following the 44-Day War in 2020 and the complete capture of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) in a 24-hour offensive on September 19–20, 2023, Azerbaijan controls territory that was previously under Armenian administration, ethnically cleansing the enclave of its more than 150,000 Armenian inhabitants. President Ilham Aliyev has used military victory to extract territorial and geopolitical concessions from Armenia, including commitments toward the so-called “Zangezur Corridor”—what Washington frames as TRIPP (Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity), a transit corridor through Armenian Syunik province that would connect Azerbaijan to Turkey via Armenian land. Aliyev has consistently framed these arrangements in pan-Turanic terms, treating them as steps toward regional integration under Turkish-Azerbaijani leadership rather than as neutral infrastructure projects. Azerbaijan’s leverage over Armenia derives not only from military superiority but from Armenia’s isolation: as Russia has grown less reliable as a security guarantor and Armenia has sought Western partnerships that remain incomplete, Baku has incrementally pressed its advantage through border incursions, blockade threats, and demands for “unblocking” that contain implicit security concessions.

Azerbaijan’s relationship with Turkey is central to its strategy and its self-conception as a regional power. The two states share language, historical narratives around pan-Turkism, and military-strategic interests in offsetting Iran and resisting Russian influence. Turkey provided air support during the 2020 war and has supplied weapons and military training throughout Azerbaijan’s buildup. However, the relationship is not symmetrical: Azerbaijan maintains its own foreign policy interests, including energy partnerships with Europe via the Southern Gas Corridor and a degree of hedging toward Russia that reflects Baku’s awareness that it cannot afford permanent enmity with Moscow. In early 2026, tensions between Azerbaijan and Iran spiked following military exercises in Nakhijevan and constitutional changes that centralized control over the exclave, raising questions about whether Baku is positioning itself as a U.S.-backed pressure point against Iran or merely consolidating internal authority. The trajectory of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, discussed in episodes examining the regional dimensions of that conflict, has direct bearing on Azerbaijan’s calculations about its northern neighbor and its room for maneuver between Washington and Moscow.

Armenia’s vulnerability has translated into Azerbaijan’s expanding room for territorial and political demands. Pashinyan has signed successive ceasefire agreements and acknowledged Armenian territorial losses while framing them as necessary trade-offs for regional peace. Yet Azerbaijan has continued to occupy positions inside internationally recognized Armenian territory, has threatened blockades over the movement of humanitarian supplies to Armenia, and has used negotiations over transit corridors as leverage to extract security concessions from Yerevan. Eldar Mamedov’s analysis of the Iran war and Azerbaijan’s role as a potential northern front, alongside Arman Grigoryan’s assessment of what he terms Armenia’s “revolutionary recklessness” in abandoning Russian security ties without securing firm Western alternatives, illustrates the degree to which Azerbaijan’s actions are embedded in a wider geopolitical struggle between Russia, the United States, Europe, Iran, and Turkey. Whether Azerbaijan consolidates its wartime gains into a permanent shift in the regional balance or whether changed circumstances in Iran, Russia, or Western policy create openings for Armenian repositioning remains among the most contested questions shaping the South Caucasus through 2026 and beyond.

Groong episodes that include this tag

Below are all Groong episodes tagged with Azerbaijan.

Guest(s):

Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - April 10, 2022

Topics:

  • 00:00:00 Introduction

  • 00:02:25 Opposition Protests in Yerevan: Thousands showed up to the opposition protest on Tuesday, outlining the red lines for Pashinyan’s dealings with Aliyev, ahead of the meeting in Brussels. Opposition says this is only the beginning, but have yet to indicate what their next steps will be.

  • 00:12:35 Buying Bread from a Man in Brussels: Pashinyan went to Brussels this week to meet with Charles Michel and Ilham Aliyev. Did the Armenian PM

 Read More

Guest(s):

Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - April 3, 2022

Topics:

  • 00:00 Intro
  • 01:12 Ukraine Crisis Update
  • 37:16 Parukh - Brussels - Moscow
  • 58:43 Rants

Guest:

  • Pietro Shakarian

Host:

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

Episode 131 | Recorded: Sunday, April 4, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220403.html

Guest(s):

Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - April 3, 2022

Topics:

  • 00:00 Intro
  • 01:12 Ukraine Crisis Update
  • 37:16 Parukh - Brussels - Moscow
  • 58:43 Rants

Guest:

  • Pietro Shakarian

Host:

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

Episode 131 | Recorded: Sunday, April 4, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220403.html

Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - March 27, 2022

Topics:

  • Introduction
  • Azerbaijan Incursions into Askeran Region
  • Artsakh Still Without Natural Gas
  • Pax Azeriana

Guest:

Episode 130 | Recorded: Monday, March 28, 2022

Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - March 27, 2022

Topics:

  • Introduction
  • Azerbaijan Incursions into Askeran Region
  • Artsakh Still Without Natural Gas
  • Pax Azeriana

Guest:

Episode 130 | Recorded: Monday, March 28, 2022

Guest(s):

Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - March 20, 2022

Topics:

  • 00:00 Introduction
  • 00:47 Azerbaijan’s “Peace” Deal
  • 13:34 Artsakh Without Natural Gas in Winter
  • 28:07 Ukraine Protests in Yerevan
  • 43:29 Vardenis Mayoral Issue Resolved
  • 47:17 Rants

Guest:

Host:

Episode 129 | Recorded: Sunday, March 21, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220320.html

Guest(s):

Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - March 20, 2022

Topics:

  • 00:00 Introduction
  • 00:47 Azerbaijan’s “Peace” Deal
  • 13:34 Artsakh Without Natural Gas in Winter
  • 28:07 Ukraine Protests in Yerevan
  • 43:29 Vardenis Mayoral Issue Resolved
  • 47:17 Rants

Guest:

Host:

Episode 129 | Recorded: Sunday, March 21, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220320.html

Guest(s):

ANN/Groong Week in Review - March 13, 2022

Topics:

  • Renewed Hostilities in Artsakh
  • Update on Ukraine
  • FM “Arabat” Mirzoyan in Antalya

Guest:

  • Dr. Pietro Shakarian

Host:

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

Episode 128 | Recorded: Sunday, March 13, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220313.html

Guest(s):

ANN/Groong Week in Review - March 13, 2022

Topics:

  • Renewed Hostilities in Artsakh
  • Update on Ukraine
  • FM “Arabat” Mirzoyan in Antalya

Guest:

  • Dr. Pietro Shakarian

Host:

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

Episode 128 | Recorded: Sunday, March 13, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220313.html

The State of Armenia’s Economy - March 10, 2022

A Conversation with Vache Gabrielyan

Topics:

  • 00:00:00 Introduction
  • 00:01:25 Risk from the Ukraine War
  • 00:37:18 Pandemic, War and Beyond Economy
  • 01:01:47 Normalization with Turkey and Corridor Economics

Guest:

Dr. Vache Gabrielyan who is the Dean of the Manoogian Simone College of Business and Economics at the American University of Armenia and specializes in public administration and economics. Since 2008, he has served as Vice-Governor of the Central Bank of Armenia, Minister of Finance, Minister-Chief of the Government Staff, Chief Advisor

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The State of Armenia’s Economy - March 10, 2022

A Conversation with Vache Gabrielyan

Topics:

  • 00:00:00 Introduction
  • 00:01:25 Risk from the Ukraine War
  • 00:37:18 Pandemic, War and Beyond Economy
  • 01:01:47 Normalization with Turkey and Corridor Economics

Guest:

Dr. Vache Gabrielyan who is the Dean of the Manoogian Simone College of Business and Economics at the American University of Armenia and specializes in public administration and economics. Since 2008, he has served as Vice-Governor of the Central Bank of Armenia, Minister of Finance, Minister-Chief of the Government Staff, Chief Advisor

 Read More

Guest(s):

ANN/Groong Week in Review - March 6, 2022

Topics:

  • 00:00 Introduction
  • 01:15 Ukraine War and Effects on Armenia
  • 19:04 Armenia Shuffles Generals
  • 25:15 Second Normalization Meeting
  • 33:06 Armenian Parliament Elects New President

Guest:

  • Benyamin Poghosyan TW/@Benyamin_Poghos

Host:

  • Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq

Episode 126 | Recorded: Sunday, March 6, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220306.html

Guest(s):

ANN/Groong Week in Review - March 6, 2022

Topics:

  • 00:00 Introduction
  • 01:15 Ukraine War and Effects on Armenia
  • 19:04 Armenia Shuffles Generals
  • 25:15 Second Normalization Meeting
  • 33:06 Armenian Parliament Elects New President

Guest:

  • Benyamin Poghosyan TW/@Benyamin_Poghos

Host:

  • Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq

Episode 126 | Recorded: Sunday, March 6, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220306.html

Guest(s):

ANN/Groong Week in Review - February 27, 2022

Topics:

  • Developments in the Ukraine Crisis
  • Donetsk, Luhansk. Artsakh?
  • Aliyev in Moscow
  • Euronest in Yerevan

Guest:

  • Pietro Shakarian
  • Yeghia Tashjian Host:
  • Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
  • Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan

Episode 125 | Recorded: Sunday, February 27, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220227.html

Guest(s):

ANN/Groong Week in Review - February 27, 2022

Topics:

  • Developments in the Ukraine Crisis
  • Donetsk, Luhansk. Artsakh?
  • Aliyev in Moscow
  • Euronest in Yerevan

Guest:

  • Pietro Shakarian
  • Yeghia Tashjian Host:
  • Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
  • Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan

Episode 125 | Recorded: Sunday, February 27, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220227.html

Armenia’s Regional Challenges - February 26, 2022 A Conversation with Tatev Hayrapetyan

Topics:

  • Tatev’s Background and Entrance into Politics
  • Armenia Going in the Wrong Direction?
  • Aliyev and his Regime after the 44-Day War
  • The Shushi and Moscow Agreements
  • Armenia’s Foreign Affairs Establishment

Guest:

  • Tatev Hayrapetyan is an expert in Azerbaijani studies and holds a PhD in History. She was an MP at the 7th convocation of Armenia’s National Assembly, a member of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Armenian Delegation at the PACE. She is mainly focused on domestic
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Armenia’s Regional Challenges - February 26, 2022 A Conversation with Tatev Hayrapetyan

Topics:

  • Tatev’s Background and Entrance into Politics
  • Armenia Going in the Wrong Direction?
  • Aliyev and his Regime after the 44-Day War
  • The Shushi and Moscow Agreements
  • Armenia’s Foreign Affairs Establishment

Guest:

  • Tatev Hayrapetyan is an expert in Azerbaijani studies and holds a PhD in History. She was an MP at the 7th convocation of Armenia’s National Assembly, a member of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Armenian Delegation at the PACE. She is mainly focused on domestic
 Read More

Roundup on the Ukraine Crisis - February 22, 2022

Topics:

  • Why did Putin Recognize Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts as Independent Republics?
  • Is Putin Trying to Recreate the USSR?
  • Is “The West” a Homogeneous Political Bloc?
  • What are the Objectives of the US?

Guest:

  • Dr. Pietro Shakarian, who is a Lecturer in History at the American University of Armenia in Yerevan. His research focuses on the history of Soviet Armenia and the Caucasus.

Guest(s):

Hosts:

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

Episode 123 | Recorded on Friday, February 22, 2022 Show notes: https://groong.org/podcasts/CoG-20220222.html

Roundup on the Ukraine Crisis - February 22, 2022

Topics:

  • Why did Putin Recognize Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts as Independent Republics?
  • Is Putin Trying to Recreate the USSR?
  • Is “The West” a Homogeneous Political Bloc?
  • What are the Objectives of the US?

Guest:

  • Dr. Pietro Shakarian, who is a Lecturer in History at the American University of Armenia in Yerevan. His research focuses on the history of Soviet Armenia and the Caucasus.

Guest(s):

Hosts:

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

Episode 123 | Recorded on Friday, February 22, 2022 Show notes: https://groong.org/podcasts/CoG-20220222.html

2021-ի «Շուշիի Հռչակագիրը» - The 2021 “Shushi Declaration” by Azerbaijan and Turkey

A Conversation in Armenian with Mihran Hakobyan (in Armenian)

Topics:

  • 2րդ Արցախեան պատերազմի Õ°Õ«Õ´Õ¶Õ¡Õ¯Õ¡Õ¶ պատճառները
  • ՀՀ Ô´Õ«Õ¾Õ¡Õ¶Õ¡Õ£Õ«Õ¿Õ¡Õ¯Õ¡Õ¶/Ռազմավարական ձախողումները
  • Շուշիի համաձայնագրի Õ°Õ«Õ´Õ¶Õ¡Õ¯Õ¡Õ¶ բաղադրիչները և սպառնալիքներ
  • Ռուսաստանի և Իրանի երկարաժամկետ շրջանային եւ աշխարհաքաղաքական նպատակները
  • The
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2021-ի «Շուշիի Հռչակագիրը» - The 2021 “Shushi Declaration” by Azerbaijan and Turkey

A Conversation in Armenian with Mihran Hakobyan (in Armenian)

Topics:

  • 2րդ Արցախեան պատերազմի Õ°Õ«Õ´Õ¶Õ¡Õ¯Õ¡Õ¶ պատճառները
  • ՀՀ Ô´Õ«Õ¾Õ¡Õ¶Õ¡Õ£Õ«Õ¿Õ¡Õ¯Õ¡Õ¶/Ռազմավարական ձախողումները
  • Շուշիի համաձայնագրի Õ°Õ«Õ´Õ¶Õ¡Õ¯Õ¡Õ¶ բաղադրիչները և սպառնալիքներ
  • Ռուսաստանի և Իրանի երկարաժամկետ շրջանային եւ աշխարհաքաղաքական նպատակները
  • The
 Read More

ANN/Groong Week in Review - February 20, 2022

Topics:

  • Ukraine: Biden’s Tunnel of Crisis
  • Azeri Commission to Destroy Armenian Heritage
  • Artsakh Law on Occupied Territories
  • Azerbaijan Wants to Arrest Artsakh President
  • IRI Poll Results Revisited

Guests:

  • Hrant Mikaelian TW/@hrant_m

Guest(s):

Hosts:

  • Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq

Episode 121 | Recorded: Sunday, February 20, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220220.html

ANN/Groong Week in Review - February 20, 2022

Topics:

  • Ukraine: Biden’s Tunnel of Crisis
  • Azeri Commission to Destroy Armenian Heritage
  • Artsakh Law on Occupied Territories
  • Azerbaijan Wants to Arrest Artsakh President
  • IRI Poll Results Revisited

Guests:

  • Hrant Mikaelian TW/@hrant_m

Guest(s):

Hosts:

  • Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq

Episode 121 | Recorded: Sunday, February 20, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220220.html

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.

Guest(s):

Hosts:

  • Hovik Manucharyan
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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.

Guest(s):

Hosts:

  • Hovik Manucharyan
 Read More

ANN/Groong Week in Review - February 13, 2022

Topics:

  • 00:00:00 Introduction
  • 00:02:43 8 More POWs Released, But What At What Cost?
  • 00:20:40 Parliamentary Commission on the 44-Day War Established
  • 00:33:42 The Degrading Norms of Democracy in Armenia
  • 00:46:42 Who Needs Armenia?
  • 01:06:32 Latest MPG Poll Results in Yerevan
  • 01:18:51 Rants

Guest:

  • Benyamin Poghosyan

Guest(s):

Hosts:

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

Episode 119 | Recorded: Sunday, February 14, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220213.html

ANN/Groong Week in Review - February 13, 2022

Topics:

  • 00:00:00 Introduction
  • 00:02:43 8 More POWs Released, But What At What Cost?
  • 00:20:40 Parliamentary Commission on the 44-Day War Established
  • 00:33:42 The Degrading Norms of Democracy in Armenia
  • 00:46:42 Who Needs Armenia?
  • 01:06:32 Latest MPG Poll Results in Yerevan
  • 01:18:51 Rants

Guest:

  • Benyamin Poghosyan

Guest(s):

Hosts:

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

Episode 119 | Recorded: Sunday, February 14, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220213.html

ANN/Groong Week in Review - February 6, 2022

Topics:

  • 00:00 Introduction
  • 01:10 The Continuing Ukraine Crisis
    • Putin in Beijing, Erdogan in Kyiv, Pashinyan at Olympic Diplomacy?
  • 23:44 Civil Contract Nominates Vahagn Khachatryan for President
  • 41:21 New IRI Poll Results
  • 58:57 Rants

Guests:

  • Dr. Pietro Shakarian

Guest(s):

Hosts:

Episode 118 | Recorded: Sunday, February 8, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220206.html

ANN/Groong Week in Review - February 6, 2022

Topics:

  • 00:00 Introduction
  • 01:10 The Continuing Ukraine Crisis
    • Putin in Beijing, Erdogan in Kyiv, Pashinyan at Olympic Diplomacy?
  • 23:44 Civil Contract Nominates Vahagn Khachatryan for President
  • 41:21 New IRI Poll Results
  • 58:57 Rants

Guests:

  • Dr. Pietro Shakarian

Guest(s):

Hosts:

Episode 118 | Recorded: Sunday, February 8, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220206.html

Guest(s):

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
 Read More

Guest(s):

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
 Read More

ANN/Groong Week in Review - January 30, 2022

Topics:

  • 00:00 Introduction
  • 00:43 Game of Chicken over Ukraine
  • 08:17 Antalya Diplomatic Forum
  • 22:54 Army Day in Armenia
  • 27:54 Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  • 31:11 Rants/Announcements

Guests:

Guest(s):

Hosts:

Episode 116 | Recorded: Sunday, January 30, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220130.html

ANN/Groong Week in Review - January 30, 2022

Topics:

  • 00:00 Introduction
  • 00:43 Game of Chicken over Ukraine
  • 08:17 Antalya Diplomatic Forum
  • 22:54 Army Day in Armenia
  • 27:54 Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  • 31:11 Rants/Announcements

Guests:

Guest(s):

Hosts:

Episode 116 | Recorded: Sunday, January 30, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220130.html

ANN/Groong Week in Review - January 23, 2022

Topics:

  • 00:00 Introduction
  • 01:04 President Armen Sarkissian Resigns
  • 20:46 Russia-NATO Standoff over Ukraine
  • 47:55 Vahan Kerobyan, Minister of Comedy

Guests:

  • Dr. Pietro Shakarian

Guest(s):

Hosts:

  • Hovik Manucharyan twitter.com/HovikYerevan
  • Asbed Bedrossian twitter.com/qubriq

Episode 114 | Recorded: Sunday, January 25, 2022

ANN/Groong Week in Review - January 23, 2022

Topics:

  • 00:00 Introduction
  • 01:04 President Armen Sarkissian Resigns
  • 20:46 Russia-NATO Standoff over Ukraine
  • 47:55 Vahan Kerobyan, Minister of Comedy

Guests:

  • Dr. Pietro Shakarian

Guest(s):

Hosts:

  • Hovik Manucharyan twitter.com/HovikYerevan
  • Asbed Bedrossian twitter.com/qubriq

Episode 114 | Recorded: Sunday, January 25, 2022

ANN/Groong Week in Review - January 16, 2022

Topics:

  • Major incident on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Line of Contact
  • Turkish-Armenian meeting in Moscow

Guests:

  • Edgar Elbakyan TW/@ElbakyanEdgar

Guest(s):

Hosts:

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

Episode 113 | Recorded: Sunday, January 17, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220116.html

ANN/Groong Week in Review - January 16, 2022

Topics:

  • Major incident on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Line of Contact
  • Turkish-Armenian meeting in Moscow

Guests:

  • Edgar Elbakyan TW/@ElbakyanEdgar

Guest(s):

Hosts:

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

Episode 113 | Recorded: Sunday, January 17, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220116.html

ANN/Groong Week in Review - January 9, 2022

Topics:

  • Color Me Kazakhstan
  • Turkish-Armenian Normalization Meeting on January 14

Guests:

  • Benyamin Poghosyan TW/@Benyamin_Poghos
  • Pietro Shakarian

Guest(s):

Hosts:

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

Episode 112 | Recorded: Sunday, January 9, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220109.html

ANN/Groong Week in Review - January 9, 2022

Topics:

  • Color Me Kazakhstan
  • Turkish-Armenian Normalization Meeting on January 14

Guests:

  • Benyamin Poghosyan TW/@Benyamin_Poghos
  • Pietro Shakarian

Guest(s):

Hosts:

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

Episode 112 | Recorded: Sunday, January 9, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220109.html

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?
 Read More

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?
 Read More

ANN/Groong Week in Review - December 26, 2021

Topics:

  • Nikol Pashinyan holds a press conference
  • Robert Kocharyan holds a press conference
  • The Yerevan Mayor Saga

Guests:

  • Tevan Poghosyan TW/@ TevanPoghosyan

Guest(s):

Hosts:

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

Episode 110 | Recorded: Sunday, December 27, 2021

Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20211226.html

ANN/Groong Week in Review - December 26, 2021

Topics:

  • Nikol Pashinyan holds a press conference
  • Robert Kocharyan holds a press conference
  • The Yerevan Mayor Saga

Guests:

  • Tevan Poghosyan TW/@ TevanPoghosyan

Guest(s):

Hosts:

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

Episode 110 | Recorded: Sunday, December 27, 2021

Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20211226.html

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
 Read More

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
 Read More

ANN/Groong Week in Review - December 19, 2021

Topics:

  • Turkish-Armenian normalization
  • Brussels Sprouts
  • Armen Grigoryan in Washington DC
  • The Armenian Project - US Tour
  • Analyst Rants

Guest:

Episode 108 | Recorded: December 20, 2021

ANN/Groong Week in Review - December 19, 2021

Topics:

  • Turkish-Armenian normalization
  • Brussels Sprouts
  • Armen Grigoryan in Washington DC
  • The Armenian Project - US Tour
  • Analyst Rants

Guest:

Episode 108 | Recorded: December 20, 2021

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
 Read More

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
 Read More

ANN/Groong Week in Review - December 12, 2021

Topics:

  • Zoom for Democracy
  • Domestic Politics
  • Regional Politics
  • Artsakh Independence at 30
  • Analyst Rants

Guests:

  • Benyamin Poghosyan TW/@benyamin_poghos
  • Pietro Shakarian

Guest(s):

Hosts:

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

Episode 106 | Recorded: Sunday, December 12, 2021

ANN/Groong Week in Review - December 12, 2021

Topics:

  • Zoom for Democracy
  • Domestic Politics
  • Regional Politics
  • Artsakh Independence at 30
  • Analyst Rants

Guests:

  • Benyamin Poghosyan TW/@benyamin_poghos
  • Pietro Shakarian

Guest(s):

Hosts:

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

Episode 106 | Recorded: Sunday, December 12, 2021

ANN/Groong Week in Review - December 5, 2021

Topics:

  • Regional Geopolitics @1:07
  • Turkmenistan / Iran Gas Swap Deal @46:58
  • Opposition Fizzles Out. Again @58:18

Guests:

  • Benyamin Poghosyan TW/@benyamin_poghos

Guest(s):

Hosts:

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

Episode 105 | Recorded: Sunday, December 5, 2021 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20211205.html

ANN/Groong Week in Review - December 5, 2021

Topics:

  • Regional Geopolitics @1:07
  • Turkmenistan / Iran Gas Swap Deal @46:58
  • Opposition Fizzles Out. Again @58:18

Guests:

  • Benyamin Poghosyan TW/@benyamin_poghos

Guest(s):

Hosts:

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

Episode 105 | Recorded: Sunday, December 5, 2021 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20211205.html

ANN/Groong Week in Review - November 28, 2021

Topics:

  • Pashinyan Live on Facebook
  • Trilateral in Sochi, Bilateral in Brussels
  • Turkish-Armenian “Normalization”
  • Russian-Turkish “Co-opetition” in Eurasia

Guests:

  • Hrant Mikaelian TW/@hrant_m
  • Yeghia Tashjian TW/@yeghig

Guest(s):

Hosts:

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

Episode 104 | Recorded: Sunday, November 28, 2021 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20211128.html

ANN/Groong Week in Review - November 28, 2021

Topics:

  • Pashinyan Live on Facebook
  • Trilateral in Sochi, Bilateral in Brussels
  • Turkish-Armenian “Normalization”
  • Russian-Turkish “Co-opetition” in Eurasia

Guests:

  • Hrant Mikaelian TW/@hrant_m
  • Yeghia Tashjian TW/@yeghig

Guest(s):

Hosts:

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

Episode 104 | Recorded: Sunday, November 28, 2021 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20211128.html

ANN/Groong Week in Review - November 21, 2021

Topics:

  • Russia-NATO escalation
  • Border escalation
  • Goodbye Moscow, Hello Brussels!
  • Protests in Yerevan

Guest: Pietro Shakarian

Guest(s):

Hosts:

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

Episode 103 | Recorded: Monday, November 22, 2021 Show notes: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20211121.html

ANN/Groong Week in Review - November 21, 2021

Topics:

  • Russia-NATO escalation
  • Border escalation
  • Goodbye Moscow, Hello Brussels!
  • Protests in Yerevan

Guest: Pietro Shakarian

Guest(s):

Hosts:

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

Episode 103 | Recorded: Monday, November 22, 2021 Show notes: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20211121.html

Guest:

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 Copper/Aluminum extremely inflated? @25:50
  • Inflation @32:48
    • Effect on wages, income inequality, poverty & other socioeconomic markers? @41:36
 Read More

Guest:

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 Copper/Aluminum extremely inflated? @25:50
  • Inflation @32:48
    • Effect on wages, income inequality, poverty & other socioeconomic markers? @41:36
 Read More

ANN/Groong Week in Review - November 7, 2021

Topics:

  • Armenia under wide scale attacks by Azerbaijan @0:55
  • Border Politics @7:20
  • Azerbaijan Returns to the OSCE MG @29:49
  • Municipal elections Over the Past Weekend @44:38

Guests:

  • Arthur Martirosyan TW/@ArtMart96

Guest(s):

Hosts:

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

Episode 101 | Recorded: Monday, November 16, 2021 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20211114.html