RSC Project Director Satenik Baghdasaryan participated in a meeting of the EU Alumni Network on 18 February convened by Ambassador Piotr Switalski, the head of the European Union Delegation to Armenia. The informal meeting brought together a small group of young professionals and civil society representatives who received scholarships or grants from the European Union.
RSC Director Richard Giragosian and RSC Researcher Arpi Grigoryan attended a session of the Yerevan School of Political Studies (YSPS) on 13 February in the Armenian resort of Tsakhadzor. Giragosian presented an assessment of the Armenia-Turkey “normalization” process, focusing on the wider implications of the recent Russian-Turkish crisis, the war in Syria and the Western-brokered nuclear deal with Iran. Much of the discussion also addressed the Azerbaijan factor in the normalization process.
RSC Director Richard Giragosian met with visiting Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström on 9 February, during her first visit to the South Caucasus. In a meeting with four other Armenian civil society representatives, Foreign Minister Margot Wallström and her delegation participated in an active, hour-long discussion that covered a wide range of issues, from domestic politics to regional developments, including the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and gender-related issues. Reporting on the visit, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s (RFE/RL) Armenian Service also interviewed Giragosian, citing his comments on the domestic political situation within Armenia.
The Regional Studies Center (RSC) held its latest closed monthly briefing on 20 January, with presentations by RSC Director Richard Giragosian and Senior Analyst David Shahnazaryan. This month’s briefing featured a comprehensive analysis consisting of three main areas: (1) assessing recent political developments in Armenia, related to the implications of the December passage of the constitutional referendum, and a review of the negative economic impact on Armenia from the Russian crisis; (2) an overview of regional developments, including the recent Russian military buildup in Armenia, the deepening economic crisis in Azerbaijan, and the outlook for Armenia-Turkey “normalization,” especially given the recent Turkish-Russian crisis; (3) an assessment of the broader military situation, in light of the recent escalation of clashes over Nagorno-Karabakh and with an added focus on the outlook for the diplomatic mediation of the Karabakh conflict following the December meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents in Switzerland.
MORE THAN A MAN…..THE NINTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MURDER OF HRANT DINK
Hrant Dink
1954-2007
In Memoriam,
The ninth anniversary of his murder
It is always difficult to eulogize the dead, but it is especially painful to commemorate the loss of the brave and the innocent. Far too often we only truly appreciate the basic treasures of life when it is too late. We long for loved ones, whether friends or family, only after they have passed. We tend to take for granted their value and their company. That is only human, but so too is the tragedy of loss.