Armenian News Network - Groong: Week In Review Podcast

Armenian News Network - Groong Week in Review - Sep 4, 2022

Topics:

• September 2: Artsakh Independence Day
  • September 2 is a public holiday commemorating the day 31 years ago when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic declared independence from the USSR. Before 2020, this would be a festive holiday. This year, there were protests in both Yerevan and Stepanakert as well as visits to the gravesites of fallen heroes. 
• Developments in Geopolitics 
  • There were two major meetings this week between Armenia and Azerbaijan. On August 30, the deputy PMs met in Moscow, then on August 31, Pashinyan and Aliyev met in Brussels.
• “Normalization” with Turkey 
  • Next: we’ve read reports that the fifth meeting in the Turkish Armenian “Normalization” process will occur in September, so we'll discuss the pros and cons of that process with Prof. Vahram Ter-Matevosyan. 
• Remembering Mikhail Gorbachev
  • As Mikhail Gorbachev passed away this past week, we’ll talk to Prof. Ara Sanjian and also Ter-Matevosyan for their recollections of the years leading up to, and following the fall of Soviet Union in 1991.

Timing:

• 00:00:06 Intro
• 00:00:57 Topics
• 00:02:15 September 2 & Opposition Reboot
• 00:05:38 Geopolitics - Moscow Meeting
• 00:14:39 Geopolitics - Brussels Meeting
• 00:20:20 Geopolitics - Reactions to the Meetings
• 00:31:48 Geopolitics - Cavusoglu on Syria
• 00:41:00 Turkish Armenian “Normalization” - Vahram Ter-Matevosyan
• 00:58:48 Remembering Gorbachev - Ara Sanjian
• 01:11:45 Remembering Gorbachev - Vahram Ter-Matevosyan
• 01:18:27 Personal Rants - Hovik
• 01:20:02 End of rants and goodbyes
• 01:20:13 Closing note

Guest:

• Dr. Benyamin Poghosyan - TW/@Benyamin_Poghos
• Dr. Ara Sanjian
• Dr. Vahram Ter-Matevosyan

Hosts:

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

Episode 162 | Recorded: Sunday, September 4, 2022

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Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - August 29, 2022
Conversation with Anna Abrahamian

In the spring and summer of 2022 the Armenian parliamentary opposition was in the streets of Yerevan in large numbers, with a goal to remove the de-facto prime minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan. That failed, or at least did not achieve all of the goals it had set for itself.

Especially as we near the end of August and the protests are set to restart, we’re analyzing what didn’t work, and how to take more effective steps forward. We want to look at specific issues such as whether to move for impeachment or not.

To talk about this issue, today we have Anna Abrahamian, who is a geopolitical analyst currently splitting her time between Moscow and Athens. 

Guest:  Anna Abrahamian

Hosts:

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

Episode 161 | Recorded: Sunday, August 29, 2022

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Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - August 28, 2022

Topics:

- 00:00 Introduction
- 02:02 Opposition movement restarts
- 25:28 Berdzor & Aghavno handover
- 34:43 “Peace Plan” coming?
- 49:54 Newly proposed military service avoidance law
- 54:15 Rant


Guest:  Dr. Arthur Khachikyan

Hosts:

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

Episode 160 | Recorded: Sunday, August 28, 2022

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Armenian News Network / Groong

Ներքաղականան իրավիճակը Հայաստանում Էդգար Ղազարյանի հետ
The State of Armenian Politics with Edgar Ghazaryan

Թեմաներ:
- Անկախության հռչակագիր
- Օգոստոսի 23-ի հանրահավաքը
- Անվստահության քվե (իմպիչմենտ)
- Փաշինյանն ըննդեմ Սահմանադրության
- Ընդդիմության առաջիկա անելիքների մասին

Մեր հյուրը`
* Էդգար Ղազարյան, Վայոց Ձորի նախկին մարզպետ, սահմանադրական դատարանի աշխատակազմի նախկին ղեկավար, Լեհաստանի Հանրապետությունում ՀՀ նախկին արտակարգ և լիազոր դեսպան:

Hosts:
* Hovik Manucharyan
* Asbed Bedrossian

Episode 159 | Recorded on Friday, August 26, 2022

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Aid to Nagorno Karabakh Effectively Blocked - August 25, 2022

A Conversation with ARAM SUREN HAMPARIAN

Topics:

• The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Has Called on Congress to Investigate the Biden Administration’s Artsakh Aid Blockade.
• The Biden Administration’s Record on Armenian-Backed Resolutions.

Guest:

• Aram Suren Hamparian is the Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America.

Hosts:

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

Episode 158 | Recorded on Thursday, August 25, 2022

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Armenian News Network/Groong - August 23, 2022

On August 23, 1990 the Supreme Council of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic proclaimed Armenia as independent. 

True, Armenia officially celebrates independence day on September 21, due to the referendum which was held on Sep 21 1991, the following year. But for me, the date of August 23 - the date of the proclamation of the declaration of independence - is no less special. 

For it is this document comprised of 12 articles that form the basis for all laws in Armenia and for the constitution itself. From the need to establish historic justice, especially referencing the Armenian Genocide, the reunification of Armenia and Artsakh, the recognition of the rights of citizenship for Diasporans, to me these principles encapsulate perfectly the aspirations of the Armenian people at that time and even more so today.

After a millennium without a state (with the exception of the three years of the first republic between 1918 and 1921) the foundation for a new state was established.

This document and the principles enshrined in it are to be cherished and protected! And regardless of their individual flaws or your political judgement, the men and women of the Supreme Council are true statesmen and the founding parents of Armenia.

Just think about it! Out of a global family of 1000s of nations and tribes, only a few were lucky enough or had the right circumstances in order to establish their own state and become a political nation. And Armenians were one of them.

Links to the text of the declaration:
    - Armenian: https://www.gov.am/am/independence/
    - Russian: https://www.gov.am/ru/independence/
    - English: http://www.armenica.org/armenia/doi.html

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Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - August 21, 2022

Topics:

- 00:00 Introduction
- 01:44 Surmalu Blast
    - 01:44 What happened in Surmalu market?
    - 07:41 Why did Pashinyan jump the gun to declare that it's not terrorism?
    - 08:45 Russian note of protest on anti-Russian sentiments in information sphere
    - 12:55 A mayoral campaign in the midst of tragedy?
    - 19:01 Policy response: ban fireworks?
- 21:52 Foreign Relations
    - 21:52 Aliyev rejects Artsakh status
    - 28:26 Aghavno/Berdzor handed over
    - 41:50 Papikyan in Moscow
    - 43:28 Iranian red lines, again
    - 48:03 Checkpoints for Azerbaijan
- 53:48 Resistance Movement
- 1:01:12 Ending

Guests:

• Dr. Benyamin Poghosyan - TW/@Benyamin_Poghos

Host:

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

Episode 156 | Recorded: Monday, August 22, 2022

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Armenia’s Economy in 2022 - PART 2
Conversation with Vardan Aramyan

Topics:

• Bank Secrecy Legislation
• Cashless Transactions
• Explaining Economic “Paradox”

Guest:

• Mr. Vardan Aramyan is the former Minister of Finance of the Republic of Armenia from 2016-2018. He is currently Senior Vice President for Finance and Economy at Vallex Group in Yerevan.

Hosts:

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

Episode 155 | Recorded on Friday, August 5, 2022

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Armenia’s Economy in 2022 - PART 1
Conversation with Vardan Aramyan

Topics:

• Inflation
• Monetary Policies
• Fiscal Policies

Guest:

• Mr. Vardan Aramyan is the former Minister of Finance of the Republic of Armenia from 2016-2018. He is currently Senior Vice President for Finance and Economy at Vallex Group in Yerevan.

Hosts:

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

Episode 154 | Recorded on Friday,  August 5, 2022

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Conversations on Groong

Talking with Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte  - August 11, 2022

• Growing up Armenian in Azerbaijan
• Experiencing Armenia as an Armenian from Azerbaijan
• Advocating for Armenian Families and Children
• Thoughts on the condition of Artsakh, and Armenia
• The projects in progress at Astvatsaturian.org, Anna’s 501c3 charity organization.

Guest:

• Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte is an Armenian-American author, city counselor, human rights advocate, and also a refugee from her original city of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, which her family fled, as violence mounted against Armenians.

Hosts:

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

Episode 153 | Recorded on Sunday, August 10, 2022

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