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.

Benyamin Poghosyan - China Emerging on the Global Stage | Ep 244 - April 5, 2023 [EP244]

Posted on Wednesday, Apr 5, 2023 | Category: China, Politics, Middle East, Armenia, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran, Turkey, India, Artsakh Blockade, Ukraine, Israel, Economy, NATO, Syria, Geopolitics, Georgia, European Union | Series: cog

Guest:

Benyamin Poghosyan

Topics:

What agreements were reached between China and Russia?
What is the role of India in the new world order?
Consequence of moving away from a dollar-denominated global economic order?
China as peacemaker in Ukraine
China as peacemaker in the Middle East
China’s role in Iran and South Caucasus
How should Armenia navigate world order changes?

Episode 244 | Recorded: April 5, 2023

Benyamin Poghosyan - China Emerging on the Global Stage | Ep 244 - April 5, 2023 [EP244]

Guest:

Benyamin Poghosyan

Topics:

What agreements were reached between China and Russia?
What is the role of India in the new world order?
Consequence of moving away from a dollar-denominated global economic order?
China as peacemaker in Ukraine
China as peacemaker in the Middle East
China’s role in Iran and South Caucasus
How should Armenia navigate world order changes?

Episode 244 | Recorded: April 5, 2023

Artsakh Blockade Flash Update with Gev Iskajyan - Ep 243, Apr 4, 2023 [EP243]

Posted on Tuesday, Apr 4, 2023 | Category: Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Artsakh Blockade | Series: artsakhblockade

Artsakh Blockade Flash Update with Gev Iskajyan - Ep 243, Apr 4, 2023

Armenian News Network Groong - April 4, 2023

Guest:

Gev Iskajyan

Topics:

The Current Living Conditions
- Complete gas cutoff for 2 weeks
- Weather clearing, rolling blackouts alleviate
Young farmer hits landmine
Azeris Tighten Blockade on March 25
Situation with the Sarsang Reservoir
Artsakh FM meets French Delegation in Yerevan
- What do Western Statements mean to us?
- What do they signal to Azerbaijan?

Episode 243 | Recorded: April 4, 2023

Artsakh Blockade Flash Update with Gev Iskajyan - Ep 243, Apr 4, 2023 [EP243]

Posted on Tuesday, Apr 4, 2023 | Category: Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Artsakh Blockade

Artsakh Blockade Flash Update with Gev Iskajyan - Ep 243, Apr 4, 2023

Armenian News Network Groong - April 4, 2023

Guest:

Gev Iskajyan

Topics:

The Current Living Conditions
- Complete gas cutoff for 2 weeks
- Weather clearing, rolling blackouts alleviate
Young farmer hits landmine
Azeris Tighten Blockade on March 25
Situation with the Sarsang Reservoir
Artsakh FM meets French Delegation in Yerevan
- What do Western Statements mean to us?
- What do they signal to Azerbaijan?

Episode 243 | Recorded: April 4, 2023