Armenian News Network - Groong: Week In Review Podcast

ANN/Groong Week in Review - January 9, 2022

Topics:

• Color Me Kazakhstan
• Turkish-Armenian Normalization Meeting on January 14

Guests:

• Benyamin Poghosyan TW/@Benyamin_Poghos
• Pietro Shakarian

Hosts:

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

Episode 112 | Recorded: Sunday, January 9, 2022

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Turkish-Armenian Normalization Negotiations

A Conversation with Harut Sassounian

• Harut Sassounian has been the publisher of The California Courier newspaper since 1983. He is also the President of the Armenia Artsakh Fund, a non-profit organization which has delivered to Armenia and Artsakh $947 million of humanitarian assistance since 1989. He is currently engaged in forming the Diaspora Armenian Parliament through local elections.

Topics

• History of Turkish-Armenian Attempts are Negotiations
• Who are The Players?
• Why Now? What’s on the Agenda?
• What are the Pitfalls and Opportunities?
• Diaspora vis-à-vis the Armenian Republic

Hosts:

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

Episode 111 | Recorded on Friday, January 7, 2022

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ANN/Groong Week in Review - December 26, 2021

Topics:
* Nikol Pashinyan holds a press conference
* Robert Kocharyan holds a press conference
* The Yerevan Mayor Saga

Guests:
* Tevan Poghosyan TW/@ TevanPoghosyan

Hosts:
* Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
* Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq

Episode 110 | Recorded: Sunday, December 27, 2021

Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20211226.html

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Thirty Years After the USSR

* Dr. Pietro Shakarian is a Lecturer in history at the American University of Armenia in Yerevan. His research focuses on the history of Eastern Armenia and the Caucasus, especially Soviet Armenia during the era of Nikita Khrushchev’s Thaw. His analyses on Russia and the former Soviet region have appeared in The Nation, The Plain Dealer, the Russian International Affairs Council, Hetq, and more.

Topics:
* How did the USSR Dissolve, who were the personalities behind it?
* Did Ethnic Nationalism Have a Hand in it?
* Did Ronald Reagan Defeat the Soviet Union?
* What are the Geopolitical, Democracy, Historical Memory Legacies of the FSU in the Former Soviet Republics?
* Was the Dissolution Inevitable?

Hosts:
* Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
* Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq

Episode 109 | Recorded on Sunday, December 26, 2021

Show notes: https://groong.org/podcasts/CoG-20211226.html

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ANN/Groong Week in Review - December 19, 2021

Topics:

• Turkish-Armenian normalization
• Brussels Sprouts
• Armen Grigoryan in Washington DC
• The Armenian Project - US Tour
• Analyst Rants

Guests:

• Varuzhan Geghamyan TW/@GVaruzhan

Hosts:

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

Episode 108 | Recorded: Sunday, December 20, 2021

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Anar Valiyev and Benyamin Poghosyan discuss stumbling blocks in post-war negotiations

Guests:

• Dr. Anar Valiyev, Associate Professor at Azerbaijani Diplomatic Academy (ADA) University in Baku.
• Dr. Benyamin Poghosyan, Chairman of Yerevan-based think tank Center for Political and Economic Strategic Studies.

Topics:

• Artsakh Status (@4:54)
• Is the conflict really “solved” (@11:04)
• Opening of Communications (@38:52)
• Corridor for Corridor (@46:32)
• “Unimpeded” Access (@50:15)
• Russia’s regional role (@53:16)
• Turkey’s regional role (@58:48)
• 3+3 or 3+2 Format (@1:02:06)
• Recap (@1:26:59)

Description:

In this Conversations on Groong episode, we’ll be talking with two specialists from Armenia and from Azerbaijan, and explore their views and perspectives on the problems and solutions they envision for long-term peace between the neighbors.

Why is there a need to have such a discussion right now? The temperature of the post-war negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan has reached a boiling point, with Azerbaijan’s president Aliyev issuing ultimatums and demands for dates for Armenia to open “corridors” for Azerbaijan. In trying to create a more informed Armenian public about these negotiations, we hope that such discussions can clarify what the sides are saying to each other, and what the sides are hearing from each other.

Since the second war in Artsakh in 2020, also known as the 44-Day war, which culminated in the signing of the November Agreement by Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia, the three countries have been negotiating the fulfillment of that agreement. The agreement contained 9 points, of which the first 5 are primarily complete, 6 and 7 are more or less in progress, but 8 and 9 continue to be deeply problematic despite intensive and contentious yearlong negotiations.

Point 8 is about the exchange of all prisoners of war (POWs). It should have been a simple and humanitarian exchange, but Azerbaijan had different ideas.

Point 9 is about opening communication and transport links between Armenia and Azerbaijan and then more widely throughout the region. Negotiations have been complex and frustrations have caused flare ups that have killed dozens more Armenian soldiers and citizens since the war ended.

What are the perspectives and stumbling blocks that have prevented peace, a year after the war ended?

Hosts:

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

Episode 107 | Recorded on Tuesday, December 14, 2021

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ANN/Groong Week in Review - December 12, 2021

Topics:

• Zoom for Democracy
• Domestic Politics
• Regional Politics
• Artsakh Independence at 30
• Analyst Rants

Guests:

• Benyamin Poghosyan TW/@benyamin_poghos
• Pietro Shakarian

Hosts:

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

Episode 106 | Recorded: Sunday, December 12, 2021

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ANN/Groong Week in Review - December 5, 2021

Topics:
* Regional Geopolitics
* Turkmenistan / Iran gas swap deal
* Opposition Fizzles Out. Again.

Guests:
* Benyamin Poghosyan TW/@benyamin_poghos

Hosts:
* Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
* Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq

Episode 105 | Recorded: Sunday, December 5, 2021

Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20211205.html

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ANN/Groong Week in Review - November 28, 2021

Topics:

• Pashinyan Live on Facebook
• Trilateral in Sochi, Bilateral in Brussels
• Turkish-Armenian “Normalization”
• Russian-Turkish “Co-opetition” in Eurasia

Guests:

• Hrant Mikaelian TW/@hrant_m
• Yeghia Tashjian TW/@yeghig

Hosts:

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

Episode 104 | Recorded: Sunday, November 28, 2021

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ANN/Groong Week in Review - November 21, 2021

Topics:

• Russia-NATO escalation
• Border escalation
• Goodbye Moscow, Hello Brussels!
• Protests in Yerevan

Guests:

• Pietro Shakarian

Hosts:

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

Episode 103 | Recorded: Monday, November 22, 2021

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