Nagorno Karabakh

The Nagorno Karabakh conflict — also known as the Artsakh conflict, and in official Azerbaijani and international usage as the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict — has been the central subject of Groong’s coverage since the podcast launched. With more than 450 episodes addressing the dispute in whole or in part, this archive represents one of the most comprehensive English-language audio records of the conflict’s recent history.

At its core, the conflict was not simply a territorial dispute between two states. The Armenian population of Artsakh — the Republic of Artsakh — was asserting its right to self-determination, a principle recognized in international law and enshrined in the UN Charter. That claim stood in direct tension with Azerbaijan’s insistence on its territorial integrity and the inviolability of Soviet-era administrative borders. The failure to resolve that tension through diplomacy over three decades ultimately ended in war.

Groong covered the 44-Day War of September–November 2020, in which Azerbaijan retook large portions of Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) with Turkish military support, and the November 9, 2020 ceasefire brokered by Russia. That ceasefire created an unstable status quo: the Republic of Artsakh continued to exist on a reduced territory under the protection of Russian peacekeepers, but Azerbaijan progressively tightened its grip. The nine-month blockade of the Lachin Corridor from December 2022 onward cut the region off from food, medicine, and fuel, creating a humanitarian crisis documented in real time on Groong.

Azerbaijan’s military offensive of September 19–20, 2023 ended Armenian governance of Nagorno-Karabakh entirely. Within three weeks, virtually the entire Armenian population of Artsakh at the time — some 120,000 people, the descendants of communities that had lived in the region for millenia — was driven from the Republic of Artsakh to Armenia. Human rights organizations and many governments characterized this as ethnic cleansing. The Azerbaijani government dissolved the Republic of Artsakh on January 1, 2024.

Groong’s ongoing coverage addresses the situation of Armenian prisoners of war still held in Baku, including former Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan and former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, the right of return for the displaced population, ongoing Armenia-Azerbaijan peace negotiations, and the prospects for accountability for what occurred.

ANN/Groong Week in Review - (Ep #11) - 08/30/2020 [EP11]

Posted on Sunday, Aug 30, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Azerbaijan, Russia, Syria, Artsakh, Lebanon, USA, Middle East, Turkey, Nagorno Karabakh, European Union | Series: WIR

ANN/Groong Week in Review - 08/30/2020

Topics:

Armenian POW Gurgen Alaverdyan
Armeniaâs Humanitarian Aid to Aleppo
Serge Sargsyanâs Interview and the Four-Day War Deliberations
National Awards
Vagharshak Harutyunyanâs Appointment as Chief Advisor to Pashinyan

Guests:

Asbed Kotchikian
Emil Sanamyan
Alen Zamanyan

Hosts:

Hovik Manucharyan
Asbed Bedrossian

Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20200830.html Episode 11 | Recorded on August 30 2020

Education Reform in Armenia - (Ep #7) - 08/10/2020 [EP7]

Posted on Sunday, Aug 30, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Iran, Georgia, India, Lebanon, Turkey, Armenian Church, Nagorno Karabakh | Series: COG

Education Reform in Armenia - 08/10/2020 Conversations on Groong Asbed Kotchikian talks with Ara Sanjian & Siranush Dvoyan

Topics:

Background of education reform(s) in Armenia In depth analysis of the content, standards & measurable outcomes of the proposed curriculumâs history & literature segments. Challenges of implementing the proposed curriculum

In recent months, Armeniaâs government has published its proposal for K-12 curriculum reform in Armenian schools. The new curriculum, which includes education standards and learning outcomes, proved to be quite controversial with

Turkey - Part 2 - Zero Problems? | Ep. 10 - Aug 28, 2020 [EP10]

Posted on Friday, Aug 28, 2020 | Category: Turkey, Armenia, Genocide, Armenian Genocide, Azerbaijan, Russia, China, Middle East, Syria, Georgia, Iran, Economy, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO | Series: COG

Topics:

Turkey: Zero Problems?
Azerbaijan: The Myth of Brotherly Relations?
Armenia: From Diplomatic Overtures to a Mini Cold War

Guests:

Host:

Asbed Kotchikian

Episode 10 | Recorded: August 2020

ANN/Groong Week in Review - (Ep #8) - 08/16/2020 [EP8]

Posted on Monday, Aug 17, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Economy, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, Iran, Human Rights, Genocide, Israel, China, Turkey, Middle East, Nagorno Karabakh, European Union, NATO | Series: WIR

ANN/Groong Week in Review - 08/16/2020

This Week in Review we talk with Hrant Mikaelian to discuss important issues and developments around Armenia, such as the Coronavirus Pandemic, and its economic effect; Armeniaâs membership in EurAsian Economic Union and the economic effect of that organization on Armenia; and some of the trends affecting Russia and its economy.

Hrant will then join us in our weekly lightning round of questions from the past weekâs headlines, to analyze Prime Minister Pashinyanâs interview with BBCâs HARDtalk; the presidential elections in Belarus; and the

#WordsNotSwords | Kocharyan Interview | SIS Charges Arthur Danielyan | Constitutional Court Nominees | State of Covid | Changes in Diaspora High Commissioner Office | Headlines | People | Ep 8 - Aug 2, 2020 [EP5]

Posted on Monday, Aug 3, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Economy, Artsakh, Georgia, Iran, Russia, Turkey, Armenian Church, China, Genocide, Human Rights, Israel, Ukraine, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO, European Union | Series: WIR

ANN Groong Week in Review - 08/02/2020

Topics:

Living With Conflict #WordsNotSwords
Panel Discussion on Robert Kocharyanâs Interview
Lightning Round
- The SIS Charges Arthur Danielyan
- Nominees for the Constitutional Court
- The PMâs Outlook on the State of the Pandemic
- Staff Changes in the Diaspora High Commissionerâs Office