Hovnan Derderian

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

Groong Links:

Guest(s):

Harut Sassounian

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

Groong Links:

Guest(s):

Harut Sassounian

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

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.

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

Groong Links:

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

Groong Links:

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

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.