The Regional Studies Center (RSC) hosted a group of 45 students and faculty from the College of Europe’s Natolin (Warsaw) campus for a briefing on “Security in the South Caucasus,” with presentations by RSC Director Richard Giragosian, RSC Senior Analyst David Shahnazaryan and Dr. Sergey Minasian, the Deputy Director of the Caucasus Institute.
As part of the longer term effort to support innovative education in Armenia, the RSC offered an interactive presentation on Nagorno-Karabakh for a group of students and faculty at the international UWC Dilijan College on 10 March. The RSC offers a regular series of activities and events for the UWC Dilijan student body, both in Yerevan and at their Dilijan campus.
On 1 March 2016, RSC Director Richard Giragosian met with Federica Mogherini, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the Commission, during her visit to Armenia. Convened at the EU Delegation to Armenia, the RSC was among seven other civil society organizations to meet with the EU foreign policy official and in a meeting that lasted for nearly ninety minutes, presented and discussed a wide range of issues, ranging from the domestic situation in Armenia to broader regional developments.
The Regional Studies Center (RSC) held its latest closed monthly briefing on 24 February, with presentations by RSC Director Richard Giragosian and Senior Analyst David Shahnazaryan. This month’s briefing featured a comprehensive analysis consisting of two areas: (1) an analysis of domestic political developments, including the formation of a new pro-government coalition and the state of the opposition, and a focus on the process of electoral reform in the wake of the adoption of constitutional amendments; (2) an assessment of regional developments, including the escalating crisis between Russia and Turkey, recent developments related to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and the outlook for the expansion of Armenian-Iranian relations.
On 19 February 2016, The Regional Studies Center (RSC) convened a special “Focus Group” to discuss democratization and political change in Armenia. With two dozen participants, the Focus Group was also joined by representatives from the European Union Delegation to Armenia and the UK Embassy, serving as observers.