Tag: Ilham Aliyev

Last updated: May 29, 2026

Ilham Aliyev, who has led Azerbaijan since 2003, is one of the most frequently discussed figures in Groong’s coverage. His government’s decision to launch the 44-Day War in 2020 and the subsequent military operation in September 2023 that ended Armenian control of Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) — and resulted in the ethnic cleansing of over 100,000 Armenians from the region — fundamentally reshaped the South Caucasus.

Groong episodes examine Aliyev’s relationship with Turkey, his use of energy leverage over Europe, Azerbaijan’s growing ties with Israel and other arms suppliers, his government’s human rights record, and Baku’s demands in ongoing negotiations with Armenia over a peace treaty. Coverage also addresses Azerbaijan’s hosting of COP29 in 2024 and what that meant for international scrutiny of the country’s domestic policies.

Pashinyan Live | From Sochi to Brussels | Normalization | Co-opetition | Ep #104 - Nov 28, 2021 [EP104]

Posted on Monday, Nov 29, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Russia, Turkey, Iran, Azerbaijan, Syria, Economy, Georgia, China, India, Lebanon, Artsakh, Ukraine, Genocide, Middle East

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

Hosts:

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

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

Russia-NATO | Border | Goodbye Moscow, Hello Brussels! | Protests in EVN | Ep #103 - Nov 21, 2021 [EP103]

Posted on Monday, Nov 22, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Russia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Turkey, Iran, Georgia, USA, Economy | Series: WIR

ANN/Groong Week in Review - November 21, 2021

Topics:

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

Guest: Pietro Shakarian

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

Russia-NATO | Border | Goodbye Moscow, Hello Brussels! | Protests in EVN | Ep #103 - Nov 21, 2021 [EP103]

Posted on Monday, Nov 22, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Russia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Turkey, Iran, Georgia, USA, Economy

ANN/Groong Week in Review - November 21, 2021

Topics:

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

Guest: Pietro Shakarian

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

Armenia Attacked | Border Politics | Back to OSCE MG | Municipal Results | Ep #101 - Nov 14, 2021 [EP101]

Posted on Wednesday, Nov 17, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Russia, Azerbaijan, Artsakh, Turkey, Israel, China, Ukraine, Georgia, Iran, Economy, Middle East | Series: WIR

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

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

Armenia Attacked | Border Politics | Back to OSCE MG | Municipal Results | Ep #101 - Nov 14, 2021 [EP101]

Posted on Wednesday, Nov 17, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Russia, Azerbaijan, Artsakh, Turkey, Israel, China, Ukraine, Georgia, Iran, Economy, Middle East

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

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

War in Artsakh, 1 Year On | Erika Olson visits Region | Internal developments | Ep #99 - Nov 7, 2021 [EP99]

Posted on Tuesday, Nov 9, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran, China, Artsakh, India, Georgia, Turkey, Israel | Series: WIR

ANN/Groong Week in Review - November 7, 2021

Topics:

  • The War in Artsakh, One Year Later
  • Erika Olson visits the South Caucasus
  • Internal political developments

Guests:

  • Benyamin Poghosyan TW/@Benyamin_Poghos

Hosts:

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

Episode 99 | Recorded: Monday, November 8, 2021 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20211107.html

War in Artsakh, 1 Year On | Erika Olson visits Region | Internal developments | Ep #99 - Nov 7, 2021 [EP99]

Posted on Tuesday, Nov 9, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran, China, Artsakh, India, Georgia, Turkey, Israel

ANN/Groong Week in Review - November 7, 2021

Topics:

  • The War in Artsakh, One Year Later
  • Erika Olson visits the South Caucasus
  • Internal political developments

Guests:

  • Benyamin Poghosyan TW/@Benyamin_Poghos

Hosts:

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

Episode 99 | Recorded: Monday, November 8, 2021 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20211107.html

Armenia's Borders in Maps - A Conversation with Rouben Galichian | Ep 95 - Oct 29, 2021 [EP95]

Posted on Friday, Oct 29, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, History, Maps | Series: COG, video

Armenia’s Borders in Maps - A Conversation with Rouben Galichian | Ep 95 - Oct 29, 2021

Guest:

Topics:

  • Following the 44-day War in Artsakh, Azerbaijan’s president demands Armenia sign a “Peace Treaty” involving full border recognition.
  • Historical and contemporary mapping of Armenian borders
  • Early cartography and 20th-century developments
  • Enclaves, the Goris-Kapan Highway, and Sev Lake
  • Armenia-Iran border considerations

Episode 95 | Recorded: October 29, 2021

Armenia's Borders in Maps - A Conversation with Rouben Galichian | Ep 95 - Oct 29, 2021 [EP95]

Posted on Friday, Oct 29, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, History, Maps

Armenia’s Borders in Maps - A Conversation with Rouben Galichian | Ep 95 - Oct 29, 2021

Guest:

Topics:

  • Following the 44-day War in Artsakh, Azerbaijan’s president demands Armenia sign a “Peace Treaty” involving full border recognition.
  • Historical and contemporary mapping of Armenian borders
  • Early cartography and 20th-century developments
  • Enclaves, the Goris-Kapan Highway, and Sev Lake
  • Armenia-Iran border considerations

Episode 95 | Recorded: October 29, 2021