Civil Contract

Last updated: May 29, 2026

Civil Contract is the ruling political party of Armenia, founded and led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan . It rose to power following the 2018 so-called “Velvet Revolution” (which critics term a “regime change”) and obtained parliamentary majority in the 2021 snap elections, giving it the supermajority that has defined Armenia’s legislative landscape for the past several years. The opposition challenged the results of the election as unfair.

With more than 80 episodes referencing the party, Groong’s coverage of Civil Contract is extensive. Topics include the government’s handling of the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh war and its aftermath, the peace negotiation process with Azerbaijan, Armenia’s pivot away from Russia and toward the European Union and the United States, the crackdown on opposition and civic institutions, the 2025 confrontation with the Armenian Apostolic Church , and the party’s campaign positioning ahead of the June 7, 2026 parliamentary elections.

Critics of Civil Contract covered in Groong episodes argue that the party has used its supermajority to consolidate power, weaken state institutions, suppress political opposition, and pursue a foreign policy that has left Armenia isolated and vulnerable. Supporters counter that it represents a genuine break from the corruption and military adventurism of previous governments.

Groong episodes that include this tag

Below are all Groong episodes tagged with Civil Contract.

Armenia Votes, Opposition Jailed: Pashinyan's Democracy | Ep 597, Oct 25, 2026 [EP597]

Posted on Monday, Oct 26, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics | Series: wir, video

Topics:

  • Municipal elections and one-party dominance
  • Opposition arrests ahead of Stepanavan elections
  • Pashinyan’s threats of snap elections
  • Constitutional changes and Azerbaijani demands
  • Can elections bring political change?
  • Government bonuses, cronyism, and accountability
  • Remembering Rita Vorperian and Osheen Keshishian

Episode 597 | Recorded: October 25, 2026

#Armenia #ArmenianPolitics #NikolPashinyan #ArmenianElections #OppositionCrackdown #SnapElections #ConstitutionalReform #DemocracyUnderThreat

Armenia Votes, Opposition Jailed: Pashinyan's Democracy | Ep 597, Oct 25, 2026 [EP597]

Posted on Monday, Oct 26, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics

Topics:

  • Municipal elections and one-party dominance
  • Opposition arrests ahead of Stepanavan elections
  • Pashinyan’s threats of snap elections
  • Constitutional changes and Azerbaijani demands
  • Can elections bring political change?
  • Government bonuses, cronyism, and accountability
  • Remembering Rita Vorperian and Osheen Keshishian

Episode 597 | Recorded: October 25, 2026

#Armenia #ArmenianPolitics #NikolPashinyan #ArmenianElections #OppositionCrackdown #SnapElections #ConstitutionalReform #DemocracyUnderThreat

Transcript: Armenia Votes, Opposition Jailed: Pashinyan's Democracy | Ep 597, Oct 25, 2026 [EP597]

Posted on Monday, Oct 26, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Transcript

In this Groong Week in Review episode, Hovik and Asbed break down Armenia’s October 25, 2026 municipal elections and the stark reality of one-party rule under Pashinyan. We discuss administrative pressure, opposition arrests in Stepanavan, jailed candidates, and coerced party defections—exposing how Civil Contract dominates through control of police and judiciary rather than genuine democratic competition. We also examine Pashinyan’s threats of snap elections, constitutional changes responsive to Azerbaijani demands, and whether electoral politics can still deliver political change in Armenia.

Armenia on Fire Sale: Land Swaps, COP17, POWs, and the War for Gyumri | Ep 595, Oct 18, 2026 [EP595]

Posted on Thursday, Oct 22, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics | Series: wir, video

Topics:

  • Pashinyan’s territorial swap proposal with Azerbaijan
  • COP17 controversies and environmental double standards
  • UN inaction on Armenian POWs
  • Inadequate housing aid for Artsakh refugees
  • Municipal elections and alleged government pressure
  • Gyumri’s growing role as an opposition stronghold

Episode 595 | Recorded: October 21, 2026

#Armenia #Azerbaijan #Pashinyan #TerritorialSwap #COP17 #ArmenianPOWs #ArtsakhRefugees #Gyumri

Armenia on Fire Sale: Land Swaps, COP17, POWs, and the War for Gyumri | Ep 595, Oct 18, 2026 [EP595]

Posted on Thursday, Oct 22, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics

Topics:

  • Pashinyan’s territorial swap proposal with Azerbaijan
  • COP17 controversies and environmental double standards
  • UN inaction on Armenian POWs
  • Inadequate housing aid for Artsakh refugees
  • Municipal elections and alleged government pressure
  • Gyumri’s growing role as an opposition stronghold

Episode 595 | Recorded: October 21, 2026

#Armenia #Azerbaijan #Pashinyan #TerritorialSwap #COP17 #ArmenianPOWs #ArtsakhRefugees #Gyumri

Why Pashinyan Needs Gyumri to Bend the Knee [EP595]

Posted on Thursday, Oct 22, 2026 | Category: Politics, Economy, Armenia

Gyumri’s long neglect since the 1988 earthquake forged a defiant identity that now resists Civil Contract and anchors opposition investment.

Transcript: Armenia on Fire Sale: Land Swaps, COP17, POWs, and the War for Gyumri | Ep 595, Oct 18, 2026 [EP595]

Posted on Thursday, Oct 22, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Transcript

In this episode of Groong Week in Review, Hovik and Asbed break down Pashinyan’s territorial swap proposal with Azerbaijan, examining the strategic implications for Armenia’s 29,743 square kilometers and the security of border communities. We discuss the Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Process, contradictions between government officials on formal negotiations, inadequate housing aid for Artsakh refugees displaced during the ethnic cleansing, UN inaction on Armenian Prisoners of War, and Gyumri’s emergence as an opposition stronghold ahead of municipal elections.

Pashinyan's Nuclear U-Turn and Armenia's Security Failures | Ep 593, Oct 11, 2026 [EP593]

Posted on Wednesday, Oct 14, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics | Series: wir, video

Topics:

  • Pashinyan’s Nuclear Policy U-Turn
  • Azerbaijani Infiltration Into Shaki
  • Karapetyan To Unite The Opposition?
  • COP17 Spending Corruption
  • Pashinyan’s Broken Environmental Promises

Episode 593 | Recorded: October 13, 2026

#Armenia #Pashinyan #NuclearEnergy #Azerbaijan #NationalSecurity #SamvelKarapetyan #Corruption #Amulsar

Pashinyan's Nuclear U-Turn and Armenia's Security Failures | Ep 593, Oct 11, 2026 [EP593]

Posted on Wednesday, Oct 14, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics

Topics:

  • Pashinyan’s Nuclear Policy U-Turn
  • Azerbaijani Infiltration Into Shaki
  • Karapetyan To Unite The Opposition?
  • COP17 Spending Corruption
  • Pashinyan’s Broken Environmental Promises

Episode 593 | Recorded: October 13, 2026

#Armenia #Pashinyan #NuclearEnergy #Azerbaijan #NationalSecurity #SamvelKarapetyan #Corruption #Amulsar

Save Amulsar: The Forgotten Campaign [EP593]

Posted on Wednesday, Oct 14, 2026 | Category: Politics, Economy, Armenia

A fading Save Amulsar graffiti prompts the hosts to revisit how an environmental cause used for regime change was quietly abandoned.

The Gambling Loophole Enriching Insiders [EP593]

Posted on Wednesday, Oct 14, 2026 | Category: Economy, Politics, Armenia

A gambling ban with an online loophole funneled an industry worth billions to an official’s close benefactor, the hosts explain.

Transcript: Pashinyan's Nuclear U-Turn and Armenia's Security Failures | Ep 593, Oct 11, 2026 [EP593]

Posted on Wednesday, Oct 14, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Transcript

In this week’s episode of Groong Week in Review, Hovik and Asbed examine Pashinyan’s abrupt reversal on nuclear energy policy, shifting from Western small modular reactors to consideration of a Russian gigawatt-scale plant amid surging data center demands. We discuss the security implications of long-term energy dependency, the geopolitics behind Armenia’s power infrastructure choices, and ongoing concerns about Azerbaijani infiltration, opposition unity under Samvel Karapetyan, and corruption at COP17.

Groong Podcast Digest — Week of September 28–4, 2026

Posted on Sunday, Oct 4, 2026 | Category: Digest, Podcast Digest

Hovik and Asbed mark the sixth anniversary of the 44-Day War while examining Armenia’s deepening crisis over historical memory, escalating tensions between the state and the Armenian Church, international concern over election integrity, and Armenia’s isolated position as Azerbaijan demolishes Artsakh’s Armenian cultural heritage. Harut Sassounian examines Armenia’s identity crisis amid escalating conflict between Pashinyan’s government and the Armenian Apostolic Church, discussing Catholicos Garegin II’s statements at the May 2025 World Council of Churches  Read More

Harut Sassounian - Armenia’s Identity Crisis: Church, State, and Diaspora | Ep 592, Oct 2, 2026 [EP592]

Posted on Friday, Oct 2, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics | Series: cog, video

Guest(s):

Topics:

  • Church-State conflict and Garegin II
  • Bern, Artsakh, and national identity
  • Government plans to “reform” Church
  • Pashinyan’s meeting with All-ASA
  • Armenia-Diaspora relations after June 7

Episode 592 | Recorded: September 30, 2026

#Armenia #ArmenianChurch #GareginII #NikolPashinyan #Artsakh #ArmenianDiaspora #ChurchState #ArmenianIdentity

Harut Sassounian - Armenia’s Identity Crisis: Church, State, and Diaspora | Ep 592, Oct 2, 2026 [EP592]

Posted on Friday, Oct 2, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics

Guest(s):

Topics:

  • Church-State conflict and Garegin II
  • Bern, Artsakh, and national identity
  • Government plans to “reform” Church
  • Pashinyan’s meeting with All-ASA
  • Armenia-Diaspora relations after June 7

Episode 592 | Recorded: September 30, 2026

#Armenia #ArmenianChurch #GareginII #NikolPashinyan #Artsakh #ArmenianDiaspora #ChurchState #ArmenianIdentity

Pashinyan Says He Consulted Nobody [EP592]

Posted on Friday, Oct 2, 2026 | Category: Politics, Armenia

Sassounian says Pashinyan told parliament he consulted nobody and made his own decision, calling it one-man rule.

Pashinyan Wrote His UN Speech on the Plane [EP592]

Posted on Friday, Oct 2, 2026 | Category: Politics, Armenia

Sassounian describes Pashinyan posting a toothbrush on Facebook, then writing his UN General Assembly speech mid-flight to New York.

The Head of the First Christian Nation Is Suing the Catholicos [EP592]

Posted on Friday, Oct 2, 2026 | Category: Armenian Church, Politics, Armenia

Sassounian calls it shameful that the head of the first Christian nation is taking the Catholicos to court, with prison a possible outcome.

Transcript: Harut Sassounian - Armenia’s Identity Crisis: Church, State, and Diaspora | Ep 592, Oct 2, 2026 [EP592]

Posted on Friday, Oct 2, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Transcript

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Harut Sassounian about Armenia’s identity crisis amid escalating conflict between the Armenian government and the Armenian Apostolic Church. We discuss Catholicos Garegin II’s statements at the May 2025 World Council of Churches conference in Bern, Pashinyan’s public attacks on senior clergy, the constitutional role of the Armenian Church in national identity, and the deeper geopolitical questions surrounding Armenia-Diaspora relations following the June 2026 Armenian parliamentary elections.

A Government Report to Remove the Catholicos [EP591]

Posted on Thursday, Oct 1, 2026 | Category: Armenian Church, Politics, Armenia

The Prime Minister’s office published a 74 page report describing a Church crisis and laying out a roadmap to remove the Catholicos.

A Tata Concert on the Anniversary of the War [EP591]

Posted on Thursday, Oct 1, 2026 | Category: History, Politics, Nagorno Karabakh

On the sixth anniversary of the 2020 war, thousands streamed to Yerablur while state TV aired a pop concert and no Civil Contract official appeared.

From Yerablur to Etchmiadzin: Armenia’s Battle Over Memory | Ep 591, Sep 27, 2026 [EP591]

Posted on Thursday, Oct 1, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics | Series: wir, video

Topics:

  • September 27 war anniversary and memory
  • Pashinyan escalates campaign against Church
  • PACE raises concerns over elections
  • Armenia, Turkey, Azerbaijan at UNGA
  • Witkoff reveals Turkish regional advisers
  • Opposition faces post-election divisions
  • Arrests and prosecutions over speech
  • France and Azerbaijan move toward normalization

Episode 591 | Recorded: September 27, 2026

From Yerablur to Etchmiadzin: Armenia’s Battle Over Memory | Ep 591, Sep 27, 2026 [EP591]

Posted on Thursday, Oct 1, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics

Topics:

  • September 27 war anniversary and memory
  • Pashinyan escalates campaign against Church
  • PACE raises concerns over elections
  • Armenia, Turkey, Azerbaijan at UNGA
  • Witkoff reveals Turkish regional advisers
  • Opposition faces post-election divisions
  • Arrests and prosecutions over speech
  • France and Azerbaijan move toward normalization

Episode 591 | Recorded: September 27, 2026

How Three Precincts Handed Pashinyan a Supermajority [EP591]

Posted on Thursday, Oct 1, 2026 | Category: Politics, Armenia

Pashinyan fell short of 50 percent, then the annulment of three polling stations stripped Prosperous Armenia of five mandates and handed Civil Contract a three-fifths majority.

Transcript: From Yerablur to Etchmiadzin: Armenia’s Battle Over Memory | Ep 591, Sep 27, 2026 [EP591]

Posted on Thursday, Oct 1, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Transcript

In this week’s Groong Week in Review, Hovik and Asbed mark the sixth anniversary of the 44-Day War and examine Armenia’s deepening crisis over historical memory and national identity. We discuss the Armenian government’s controversial response to September 27 commemorations, escalating tension between the state and the Armenian Church, international concern over election integrity, and Armenia’s isolated position as Azerbaijan demolishes Artsakh’s Armenian cultural heritage while Turkey advances regional integration plans.

Does Armenia Still Need the Russian Base? [EP590]

Posted on Friday, Sep 25, 2026 | Category: Politics, Russia, Armenia

Aghajanian says Russia’s 102nd base in Gyumri still matters to Armenia, keeping Turkey at bay, and warns removing it would leave the country totally alone.

Dziunik Aghajanian - From Moscow to Riyadh: New Fault Lines Around Armenia | Ep 590, Sep 25, 2026 [EP590]

Posted on Friday, Sep 25, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics | Series: cog, video

Guest(s):

Topics:

  • Russian parliamentary election outcome
  • Middle East escalation and the Houthis
  • Armenia-Russia confrontation, including the 102nd base
  • Asset confiscation, anti-corruption, and Russian interests
  • Azerbaijan-Armenia “durable peace” tensions
  • Armenian opposition strategy

Episode 590 | Recorded: September 23, 2026

#Armenia #Russia #SouthCaucasus #Azerbaijan #MiddleEast #UkraineWar #ArmenianPolitics #Geopolitics

Dziunik Aghajanian - From Moscow to Riyadh: New Fault Lines Around Armenia | Ep 590, Sep 25, 2026 [EP590]

Posted on Friday, Sep 25, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics

Guest(s):

Topics:

  • Russian parliamentary election outcome
  • Middle East escalation and the Houthis
  • Armenia-Russia confrontation, including the 102nd base
  • Asset confiscation, anti-corruption, and Russian interests
  • Azerbaijan-Armenia “durable peace” tensions
  • Armenian opposition strategy

Episode 590 | Recorded: September 23, 2026

#Armenia #Russia #SouthCaucasus #Azerbaijan #MiddleEast #UkraineWar #ArmenianPolitics #Geopolitics

The Second Front Plan: Jermuk Was Orchestrated [EP590]

Posted on Friday, Sep 25, 2026 | Category: Politics, Russia, Armenia

Aghajanian argues the September 2022 Jermuk fighting was orchestrated by Western actors, Azerbaijan, and Pashinyan to draw Russia into a second front.

There Is No Judicial System Left in Armenia [EP590]

Posted on Friday, Sep 25, 2026 | Category: Politics, Human Rights, Armenia

Aghajanian says Armenia has no judicial system left, with 75% of judges appointed by the ruling group and orders coming from above.

Why Azerbaijan Stopped at Jermuk [EP590]

Posted on Friday, Sep 25, 2026 | Category: Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan

Aghajanian says Armenian soldiers fought back at Jermuk against government commands, pushing Azerbaijan back from a strategic corridor toward Nakhijevan.

Transcript: Dziunik Aghajanian - From Moscow to Riyadh: New Fault Lines Around Armenia | Ep 590, Sep 25, 2026 [EP590]

Posted on Friday, Sep 25, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Transcript

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Dziunik Aghajanian about shifting geopolitical pressures on Armenia following Russia’s September 2026 parliamentary elections. We discuss Putin’s strengthened domestic position, the Armenia-Russia confrontation over the 102nd base, asset confiscation and anti-corruption efforts targeting Russian interests, and how Middle East escalation and the Iran War reshape Armenia’s strategic environment amid ongoing Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Process tensions.

Armenia Is Racing Toward Dictatorship [EP589]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 23, 2026 | Category: Politics, Armenia, Human Rights

Arthur Khachatryan warns that Pashinyan’s threats and talk of mob justice signal Armenia is racing toward dictatorship.

Arthur Khachatryan - Opposition Strategy, TRIPP, and the Russian Base | Ep 589, Sep 23, 2026 [EP589]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 23, 2026 | Series: cog, video

Guest(s):

Topics:

  • Reflections on Independence Day
  • Post-election opposition strategy
  • Tigranashen and other territorial concessions
  • Azerbaijani attacks on Armenian heritage
  • Azerbaijani control over TRIPP access
  • Future of Russia’s 102nd base
  • Asset confiscation and Russia tensions
  • Attacks and threats against the ARF

Episode 589 | Recorded: September 22, 2026

#Armenia #ArthurKhachatryan #ArmeniaAlliance #TRIPP #Tigranashen #Artsakh #SouthCaucasus #ArmenianPolitics

 Read More

Arthur Khachatryan - Opposition Strategy, TRIPP, and the Russian Base | Ep 589, Sep 23, 2026 [EP589]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 23, 2026

Guest(s):

Topics:

  • Reflections on Independence Day
  • Post-election opposition strategy
  • Tigranashen and other territorial concessions
  • Azerbaijani attacks on Armenian heritage
  • Azerbaijani control over TRIPP access
  • Future of Russia’s 102nd base
  • Asset confiscation and Russia tensions
  • Attacks and threats against the ARF

Episode 589 | Recorded: September 22, 2026

#Armenia #ArthurKhachatryan #ArmeniaAlliance #TRIPP #Tigranashen #Artsakh #SouthCaucasus #ArmenianPolitics

 Read More

Only One Armenian Kept in the Museum [EP589]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 23, 2026 | Category: Politics, Armenia, History

Khachatryan compares Civil Contract’s rhetoric about eradicating the ARF to a 1915 Turkish line about keeping one Armenian in a museum.

The $2 Billion Bluff [EP589]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 23, 2026 | Category: Politics, Economy, Armenia

Khachatryan details how confiscated hotels and villas are resold at deep discounts to Pashinyan-linked buyers while families get nothing.

Armenia at 35: Independence, Loss, and Unfinished Wars | Ep 588, Sep 20, 2026 [EP588]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 23, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics | Series: wir, video

Topics:

  • Armenia marks 35 years independent
  • Artsakh remembered three years later
  • Armenian POWs remain in Baku
  • Ukraine strikes deep inside Russia
  • Turkey-Azerbaijan deepen strategic coordination
  • Citizenship costs rise sharply
  • Government opacity over war casualties

Episode 588 | Recorded: September 22, 2026

#Armenia #Artsakh #UkraineWar #ArmenianPOWs #Azerbaijan #Turkey #SouthCaucasus #ArmenianPolitics

Armenia at 35: Independence, Loss, and Unfinished Wars | Ep 588, Sep 20, 2026 [EP588]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 23, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics

Topics:

  • Armenia marks 35 years independent
  • Artsakh remembered three years later
  • Armenian POWs remain in Baku
  • Ukraine strikes deep inside Russia
  • Turkey-Azerbaijan deepen strategic coordination
  • Citizenship costs rise sharply
  • Government opacity over war casualties

Episode 588 | Recorded: September 22, 2026

#Armenia #Artsakh #UkraineWar #ArmenianPOWs #Azerbaijan #Turkey #SouthCaucasus #ArmenianPolitics

Five Times More Expensive for Diasporans to Gain Armenian Citizenship [EP588]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 23, 2026 | Category: Diaspora, Politics, Armenia

Hovik breaks down a fivefold hike in Armenian citizenship fees and a tenfold increase to renounce, and argues it is deliberate diaspora policy.

Jailed, Then a Deal, Then His Case Vanished [EP588]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 23, 2026 | Category: Politics, Armenia

Hovik recounts how Goris mayor Arush Arushanyan, jailed for protesting Pashinyan, saw his case dropped a week after allying with Civil Contract.

Transcript: Armenia at 35: Independence, Loss, and Unfinished Wars | Ep 588, Sep 20, 2026 [EP588]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 23, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Transcript

In this week’s Groong podcast episode, Hovik and Asbed reflect on Armenia’s 35th independence anniversary amid ongoing regional tensions and unresolved conflicts. We discuss the state of Armenian statehood three years after the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh, Armenian prisoners of war still held in Baku, rising citizenship costs, government opacity over war casualties, and deepening Turkey-Azerbaijan strategic coordination.

Transcript: Arthur Khachatryan - Opposition Strategy, TRIPP, and the Russian Base | Ep 589, Sep 23, 2026 [EP589]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 23, 2026 | Category: Transcript

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Arthur Khachatryan, MP from Armenia Alliance, about opposition strategy following the June 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election. We discuss the Established Opposition’s plans to counter Pashinyan’s agenda, territorial concessions including Tigranashen, Azerbaijani attacks on Armenian heritage, the role of TRIPP and Azerbaijan’s control over transit corridors, the future of Russia’s 102nd military base, and escalating threats against opposition parties.

Hrant Mikaelian - Chips for TRIPP, Education Crisis, and Economic Risks | Ep 586, Sep 17, 2026 [EP586]

Posted on Friday, Sep 18, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics | Series: cog, video

Guest(s):

Topics:

  • AI chips tied to TRIPP diplomacy
  • Data centers raise major energy questions
  • Armenia faces severe education outcomes
  • Government reforms versus poor student performance
  • Azerbaijan targets Armenian heritage in Artsakh
  • Gas dependence exposes Armenia to shocks

Episode 586 | Recorded: September 16, 2026

#Armenia #TRIPP #ArtificialIntelligence #EducationCrisis #Artsakh #EnergySecurity #SouthCaucasus #HrantMikaelian

Hrant Mikaelian - Chips for TRIPP, Education Crisis, and Economic Risks | Ep 586, Sep 17, 2026 [EP586]

Posted on Friday, Sep 18, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics

Guest(s):

Topics:

  • AI chips tied to TRIPP diplomacy
  • Data centers raise major energy questions
  • Armenia faces severe education outcomes
  • Government reforms versus poor student performance
  • Azerbaijan targets Armenian heritage in Artsakh
  • Gas dependence exposes Armenia to shocks

Episode 586 | Recorded: September 16, 2026

#Armenia #TRIPP #ArtificialIntelligence #EducationCrisis #Artsakh #EnergySecurity #SouthCaucasus #HrantMikaelian

Transcript: Hrant Mikaelian - Chips for TRIPP, Education Crisis, and Economic Risks | Ep 586, Sep 17, 2026 [EP586]

Posted on Friday, Sep 18, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Transcript

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Hrant Mikaelian about chip diplomacy, the TRIPP framework, and Armenia’s structural economic vulnerabilities. We discuss how the U.S. fast-tracked advanced AI exports to secure the Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Process agreement, the massive energy demands of the planned Firebird data center, Armenia’s deepening education crisis, and the risks of energy dependence as the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant approaches shutdown.

Arrest, No Basis, Release: The Pashinyan Pattern [EP585]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 16, 2026 | Category: Human Rights, Politics, Armenia

Artsakh analyst Alen Ghevondyan was jailed over Facebook posts, then freed months later as a court dismissed the case. The hosts call it a repeating pattern.

Gandzasar Erasure, Chips for Territory, Russian Money & Pashinyan in Space | Ep 585, Sep 13, 2026 [EP585]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 16, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics | Series: wir, video

Topics:

  • 2022 border war and its legacy
  • Hajiyev spouts hate, EU reps giggle
  • Armenia’s muted response to Azerbaijan
  • TRIPP, NVIDIA chips, and sovereignty
  • Pashinyan’s Paris space summit visit
  • Russian money flows through Armenia
  • Russia-Iran coordination in South Caucasus
  • Political prosecutions and Grigoryan reshuffle

Episode 585 | Recorded: September 14, 2026

#Armenia #Artsakh #Gandzasar #TRIPP #SouthCaucasus #Azerbaijan #Russia #Iran

Gandzasar Erasure, Chips for Territory, Russian Money & Pashinyan in Space | Ep 585, Sep 13, 2026 [EP585]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 16, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics

Topics:

  • 2022 border war and its legacy
  • Hajiyev spouts hate, EU reps giggle
  • Armenia’s muted response to Azerbaijan
  • TRIPP, NVIDIA chips, and sovereignty
  • Pashinyan’s Paris space summit visit
  • Russian money flows through Armenia
  • Russia-Iran coordination in South Caucasus
  • Political prosecutions and Grigoryan reshuffle

Episode 585 | Recorded: September 14, 2026

#Armenia #Artsakh #Gandzasar #TRIPP #SouthCaucasus #Azerbaijan #Russia #Iran

Transcript: Gandzasar Erasure, Chips for Territory, Russian Money & Pashinyan in Space | Ep 585, Sep 13, 2026 [EP585]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 16, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Transcript

In this Groong Week in Review episode, Hovik and Asbed examine the fourth anniversary of the September 2022 border war, Azerbaijan’s ongoing occupation of Armenian territory, and Pashinyan’s political trajectory toward recognizing Artsakh’s loss. We discuss Hajiyev’s inflammatory rhetoric, Armenia’s muted diplomatic response, TRIPP and semiconductor sovereignty, Pashinyan’s attendance at a Paris space summit, Russian financial flows through Armenia, and Russia-Iran coordination in the South Caucasus.

Artsakh Remembered, SCO Theater, Russian Signals, and the Cucumber Paradox | Ep 584, Sep 6, 2026 [EP584]

Posted on Monday, Sep 7, 2026 | Series: wir, video

Topics:

  • Artsakh remembered, its cause unresolved
  • Putin puts Russia’s military base on the table
  • Church prosecutions begin to unravel
  • EU trade headlines look better than the deal
  • Army indiscipline fuels mounting non-combat deaths
  • New political pressures before local elections

Episode 584 | Recorded: Sep 6, 2026

#Artsakh #Armenia #NagornoKarabakh #SouthCaucasus #SCO #Russia #EuropeanUnion #ArmenianPolitics

Artsakh Remembered, SCO Theater, Russian Signals, and the Cucumber Paradox | Ep 584, Sep 6, 2026 [EP584]

Posted on Monday, Sep 7, 2026

Topics:

  • Artsakh remembered, its cause unresolved
  • Putin puts Russia’s military base on the table
  • Church prosecutions begin to unravel
  • EU trade headlines look better than the deal
  • Army indiscipline fuels mounting non-combat deaths
  • New political pressures before local elections

Episode 584 | Recorded: Sep 6, 2026

#Artsakh #Armenia #NagornoKarabakh #SouthCaucasus #SCO #Russia #EuropeanUnion #ArmenianPolitics

Pashinyan Blames Army Deaths on His Own 'Peace' [EP584]

Posted on Monday, Sep 7, 2026 | Category: Politics, Armenia

Pashinyan reportedly explains rising army deaths by saying that with no enemy shooting, soldiers grow lax and fight over who sleeps on watch.

The NSC Chief Who Once Called Concessions 'Betrayal' [EP584]

Posted on Monday, Sep 7, 2026 | Category: Politics, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenia

The hosts read Arman Grigoryan’s 2012 words calling concessions to Azerbaijan a betrayal, then reveal he was born in Martuni, Artsakh.

Transcript: Artsakh Remembered, SCO Theater, Russian Signals, and the Cucumber Paradox | Ep 584, Sep 6, 2026 [EP584]

Posted on Monday, Sep 7, 2026 | Category: Transcript

In this week’s Groong episode, Hovik and Asbed review September 2026 developments across Armenia and the South Caucasus. We examine Artsakh’s remembered independence declaration on September 2, 1991, and its unresolved cause following the 2023 ethnic cleansing; Putin’s signaling on Russia’s military base presence; ongoing Armenian Church prosecutions; EU trade negotiations; mounting non-combat military deaths; and political pressures ahead of local elections. We also analyze U.S. envoy Witkoff and Kushner’s diplomatic shuttle through Moscow and Kyiv.

No Criminal Charges for School Administrators Who Forced Students to Pashinyan Rallies [EP582]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 2, 2026 | Category: Politics, Human Rights, Armenia

School administrators forced underage students to attend Pashinyan campaign rallies during elections. The government declined to prosecute, issuing only administrative reprimands, a stark contrast to treatment of opposition figures.

Arthur Martirosyan - The Fourth Republic and the Politics of Erasure | Ep 581, Aug 29, 2026 [EP581]

Posted on Saturday, Aug 29, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics | Series: cog, video

Guest(s):

Topics:

  • Pashinyan’s Revenge Against Opposition
  • Kocharyan Arrested, Family Under State Pressure
  • Opposition Strategy Under Repression
  • Pashinyan’s Five-Year Transformation Agenda
  • Government Assault on Armenian Church
  • Tigranashen and Border Concessions
  • TRIPP, Turan, and Central Asia

Episode 581 | Recorded: August 28, 2026

#ArmenianElections #Armenia #NikolPashinyan #CivilContract #StrongArmenia #ArmenianOpposition

Arthur Martirosyan - The Fourth Republic and the Politics of Erasure | Ep 581, Aug 29, 2026 [EP581]

Posted on Saturday, Aug 29, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics

Guest(s):

Topics:

  • Pashinyan’s Revenge Against Opposition
  • Kocharyan Arrested, Family Under State Pressure
  • Opposition Strategy Under Repression
  • Pashinyan’s Five-Year Transformation Agenda
  • Government Assault on Armenian Church
  • Tigranashen and Border Concessions
  • TRIPP, Turan, and Central Asia

Episode 581 | Recorded: August 28, 2026

#ArmenianElections #Armenia #NikolPashinyan #CivilContract #StrongArmenia #ArmenianOpposition

Transcript: Arthur Martirosyan - The Fourth Republic and the Politics of Erasure | Ep 581, Aug 29, 2026 [EP581]

Posted on Saturday, Aug 29, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Transcript

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Arthur G. Martirosyan about Armenia’s post-election political crisis and Pashinyan’s governance agenda. We discuss the arrest of opposition leaders including Robert Kocharyan, attacks on the Armenian Church, border concessions including Tigranashen, the TRIPP corridor, and how the Established Opposition is strategizing under state repression in the Fourth Republic.

Dziunik Aghajanian - Armenia Between Iran, Russia & the New Middle East Order | Ep 579, Aug 22, 2026 [EP579]

Posted on Saturday, Aug 22, 2026 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics | Series: cog, video

Guest(s):

Topics:

  • Significance of the Mecca joint defense pact
  • Iran warns Armenia over TRIPP
  • Aliyev advances plans through Syunik
  • Armenia faces growing energy dependence
  • Russia sets deadlines for Yerevan
  • Opposition tests its parliamentary strategy

Episode 579 | Recorded: August 18, 2026

#Armenia #SouthCaucasus #Mecca #TRIPP #Iran #Russia #Azerbaijan #EAEU #CSTO