CIVILNET

📍 The Zangezur mine, one of Armenia’s largest and most profitable companies, is seeking $12 million in damages from former employees who led a strike earlier this year in protest of what they called low wages and harmful working conditions.📍 Only 6% of the estimated 900,000 Armenians who are expected to submit mandatory income declarations have done so thus far, the latest sign that public opposition to the new filing requirements remains strong.📍 A step-by-step guide to Armenia’s new income declaration system: https://shorturl.at/w83Et#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #civilnetbusiness

In this episode of Insights, host Eric Hacopian focuses on Armenia’s conscription reforms, and asks if it’s the correct approach to solving the military’s many issues. Hacopian breaks down the key changes to the draft law, including new payment tiers to reduce service time and harsher penalties for those who dodge it. He also addresses the lack of trust between the military and the people it protects, and the government’s unwillingness to speak honestly about its failures. #CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #insightswitherichacopian

📍 Armenia will lift visa requirements for citizens of Bahrain, Oman, and Saudi Arabia in a bid to boost tourism and attract more foreign investments.📍 Armenian officials confirmed they are in talks with Georgian counterparts over moves by Tbilisi to block Armenian brandy and wine exports to Russia.📍 Armenia’s gross domestic product expanded by 5.2% year-on-year in the first quarter, the country’s Statistical Committee said, largely in line with expert forecasts.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #civilnetbusiness

In this episode of the CivilNet podcast, political analyst Eric Hacopian covers some of the major developments in Armenia this week. He addresses speculation around Yerevan’s potential inclusion in the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords and explores how the Trump administration may use the platform to reshape the South Caucasus. Hacopian also examines renewed efforts by Russia to reassert influence in Armenia, the political scuffles positioning former president Robert Kocharyan and his son Levon as the face of the opposition, and how rising tensions between India and Pakistan could have unexpected effects on Armenia.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ

Author Birgit Kofler joins CivilNet to explore the history and legacy of Operation Nemesis - the covert mission to assassinate the orchestrators of the Armenian Genocide. Drawing from her book _I Have Killed, But I Am Not a Murderer_ , Kofler considers the legal and moral questions surrounding the operation, as well as the broader consequences of genocide denial and impunity. Reflecting on Nemesis as an organized response to the failure of international justice, she explains that while legal frameworks have greatly advanced since that time, they remain fragile in the face of political considerations. 0:00- Why write about Operation Nemesis? 2:49- Approaches to telling the story4:12- Genocide and morality questions of vigilante justice6:48- The dangers of denial10:31- The fragility of 'never again'#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ

Dr. Taner Akçam, a renowned Turkish historian and the inaugural director of the Armenian Genocide Research Program of the Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA, joins CivilNet to discuss the need to shift from genocide recognition to restitution in the fight for justice. Following the formal recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the U.S., Akçam argues that the next phase must focus on reparations - particularly the return of looted Armenian cultural artifacts held in American museums. Drawing on the model of Jewish restitution efforts, he outlines how legal avenues can be used to pursue accountability, even when state denial persists.For more with Professor Akçam from his 2025 visit to Armenia, watch: https://youtu.be/HQpiP5dPp08

In this episode of Insights, host Eric Hacopian covers three key developments shaping Armenia's regional and domestic landscape. He begins with the cancelled summit between Israeli and Turkish officials in Baku, examining the deeper strategic divide over the future of Syria, and how it could create opportunities for Armenia. Hacopian also argues why Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s decision to attend the May 9th Victory Day parade in Moscow despite calls from Europe for a boycott is a symbolic move that makes strategic sense for Armenia. Finally, he covers the expansion of additional Wizz Air flights from Europe to Armenia, calling it a welcome step forward while the government lacks a long-term tourism strategy. #CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #insightswitherichacopian

Global health advocate Pat Garcia-Gonzalez, CEO of The Max Foundation, sits down with CivilNet to reflect on two decades of work in Armenia, highlighting the country’s significant progress in cancer care alongside the critical gaps that persist. She explains how with better education for patient advocacy, reduced stigma, and expanded government health coverage for diagnostics and medication, Armenia can achieve cancer survival rates on par with the world’s most advanced healthcare systems. 0:00- The Max Foundation’s mission in Armenia 2:22- Improvements in cancer care over the past two decades 4:00- Increasing access to cancer medications 5:56- Future focuses for improving cancer care 8:36- Breaking stigmas around cancer and bringing hope #CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ

📍 A group of civil society organizations and concerned citizens filed a lawsuit challenging the Armenian government’s decision to grant the operator of the long-stalled Amulsar gold mine a $150 million loan guarantee. Lydian did not immediately comment.📍 Armenia’s Central Bank held interest rates unchanged at 6.75%, citing increased global uncertainty amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s escalating trade war.📍 Armenia’s national debt now tops $13.6 billion and is set to approach $14 billion by the end of the year, Finance Minister Vahe Hovhannisyan told reporters.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #civilnetbusiness

In this episode of the CivilNet podcast, commentator Eric Hacopian surveys the political field ahead of the 2026 Armenian parliamentary elections, which will pit Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan against known and possibly yet-to-emerge opposition figures. He discusses the impact that a referendum to change the country’s constitution will have on Pashinyan’s prospects, as well as what it will take for each side to win. He also considers the matters of foreign interference and possible events that could drastically alter the situation. #CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ