CIVILNET

Dominic Lieven, a historian of Russia, traces the rise of the Russian Empire and its struggles to adapt to the modern world. He examines how monarchy, social inequality and great-power competition shaped Russia’s history, from imperial expansion to revolution and the Soviet collapse. The lecture was delivered in Tbilisi on June 30, 2026.This lecture is part of the Monterey Summer Symposium 2026, h...

Yerevan is hosting #COP17, a major international conference on climate change and biodiversity. World leaders are gathering to discuss how to protect nature and turn promises into real action. But what can COP17 actually achieve? And what does it mean for Armenia? Dr. Adil Najam, President of WWF International and a professor at Boston University joins CivilNet to discuss these questions. #CivilNe...

📍 Armenia’s controversial Amulsar gold mine officially launched operations, marking the end to years of delays over the project. It’s expected to generate $120-$130 million per year in taxes📍 Drone strikes by Ukraine on multiple data centers used by Yandex, Russia’s largest technology company, led to disruptions to the company’s services across Armenia.📍 Armenia’s government formally recognized...

In today’s episode of Insights, Eric examines Armenia’s nuclear energy plans following a visit to Yerevan by representatives of Rosatom, Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation. He also analyzes Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev’s latest speech, focusing on his statements about the 2020 war, threats against Armenia, and rhetoric referencing the Armenian Genocide.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #insightswit...

Dominic Lieven, a historian of Russia, examines how geography, territory and ideology have shaped empires and great-power competition. He traces the foundations of British and American global dominance, Russia’s imperial legacy and China’s rise, exploring what history reveals about today’s rivalry between Washington and Beijing. The lecture was delivered in Tbilisi on June 29, 2026.This lecture is...

In this episode of Mindful Leaders, we delve into the life and experiences of Dr. Bruce Boghosian, President of the American University of Armenia (AUA) and Professor of Mathematics at Tufts University. We explore what kind of leaders the future will need, how universities can prepare students for a world shaped by artificial intelligence, and how the science of systems can inform the art of leadi...

📍 An Azerbaijani serviceman went AWOL and crossed into Armenia’s Syunik province, where he injured a local villager before being apprehended. Azerbaijani border officers warned their Armenian counterparts of the missing serviceman two days prior.📍 Armenia’s cabinet has drafted the country’s state budget for 2027. It suggests an increase in military spending of about 9.5%, to roughly $1.7 billion...

📍 Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with Russia’s state nuclear energy corporation chief and discussed Moscow’s potential involvement in the construction of a new nuclear power plant in the country.📍 Armenia plans to implement the action plan for visa liberalization with the European Union by 2029, the interior minister announced.📍 EXPLAINER: Can Armenia achieve visa-free travel to E...

In this episode of Insights, Eric Hacopian examines the recent diplomatic tour of Artsakh organized by Azerbaijan and the controversy surrounding its Armenian cultural heritage. He reflects on the lessons of the past six years, Armenia’s security challenges, and the growing political divide over how to respond to Azerbaijan, including the debate between compromise and resistance.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆե...

What has the war in Ukraine revealed about the future of warfare? In an exclusive interview, CivilNet’s Eric Hacopian speaks with Michael Kofman, Senior Fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, about the Russia-Ukraine war, Russia’s military adaptation, Ukraine’s use of drones and long-range strikes, and the evolution of modern warfare. Kofman als...

📍 A possible increase in Russian natural gas price for Armenia would be an egregious economic shock that would require a stronger than usual monetary policy response, Central Bank Governor Martin Galstyan said.📍 Armenia’s Security Council Secretary Alen Simonyan said he spoke with Azerbaijani presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev over the latter’s remarks regarding Armenian cultural heritage in Nagor...

📍 Opposition politician and Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan has sued Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for defamation in a months-long dispute over alleged hallucinogenic mushroom use.📍 During a working visit to France, Pashinyan met with President Emmanuel Macron.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

The future of the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement remains uncertain, but some elements of the process are likely to outlast it. CivilNet political commentator Eric Hacopian explains how TRIPP and other regional transport links could move forward even without a final agreement. Yet Hacopian says Baku’s “Western Azerbaijan” campaign exposes Aliyev’s true intentions, calling it a “declaration of w...

The future of the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement remains uncertain, but some elements of the process are likely to outlast it. CivilNet political commentator Eric Hacopian explains how TRIPP and other regional transport links could move forward even without a final agreement. Yet Hacopian says Baku’s “Western Azerbaijan” campaign exposes Aliyev’s true intentions, calling it a “declaration of w...

📍 Armenia’s government has proposed major amendments to the country’s citizenship law, introducing a two-year residence requirement for ethnic Armenians who wish to become citizens.📍 Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov repeated calls for Armenia to amend its constitution, but said that when this happens is Armenia’s own business.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

📍 Armenia will have completed about 40% of the work required for visa-free travel to the European Union by November 1, Interior Minister Arpine Sargsyan told CivilNet.📍 Armenia has appealed Russia’s trade restrictions through institutions of the Eurasian Economic Union.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan says Armenia will soon apply for EU membership, while relations with Russia continue to deteriorate. What does Armenia’s move toward Europe actually entail, and how much further can Russia pressure the Armenian economy? CivilNet political commentator Eric Hacopian joins the podcast to discuss these and other major issues of the day, including the arrest of former Pre...

📍 Armenia’s Anti-Corruption Court has ordered former president Robert Kocharyan into pre-trial detention in a criminal case involving charges of abuse of authority, large-scale bribery, and money laundering.📍 Moscow has accused Armenia of cracking down on Kocharyan and other pro-Russian politicians, describing the charges as “repressions.” It has also claimed that the Armenian government’s calls...

Armenian authorities have leveled new criminal charges against the country’s former presidents Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan. Both are accused of abusing public authority, while Kocharyan also faces charges of embezzlement, bribery, and money laundering.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

📍 Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has unveiled his government’s priorities through 2031, which focuses on normalizing relations with Azerbaijan, and is a stark departure from the Russia- and Karabakh-centered priorities of the previous 2021 plan. 📍 TRIPP’s unresolved risks for Armenia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRtxG0BnVKU#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

In this episode of the CivilNet podcast, Timothy Straight, founder of Arm.wool, and Kirk Wallace, a social investor and consultant at Arm.wool, discuss Arm.wool - a venture which aims to end wool waste, transforming a discarded material into a viable alternative to plastic. The discussion covers how ethos and economics intersect, the challenges of aligning national, international, and private effo...

One year after the Washington Summit, what has the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) actually achieved so far? Sergey Melkonian, Research Fellow at the Yerevan-based think tank APRI Armenia,joins CivilNet to discuss TRIPP’s geopolitical goals as well as the risk that it could enable a new form of blockade on Armenia. Melkonian notes how the project fits into Azerbaijan’s r...

📍 Narek Mkrtchyan, ⁠Armenia’s ambassador to the United States, has downplayed Azerbaijani obstructions to the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity. 📍 Davit Babayan, Nagorno-Karabakh’s former foreign minister, says he will appeal the life sentence Azerbaijan handed to him in an international court.📍 Surviving Russian import bans: https://youtu.be/8USjhtaRmAc?si=5iMyBqbCiWHmRATs #Ci...

📍 U.S. Representative Abraham Hamadeh met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in Yerevan today. He is known for co-authoring the bill that seeks to repeal Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, which restricts U.S. assistance to Azerbaijan.📍 The AI factory that opened in the Armenian town of Hrazdan last month does not pose an environmental threat because it...

📍 Alen Simonyan has been appointed Armenia’s new Security Council secretary, replacing Armen Grigoryan after eight years in the position. 📍 Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has ordered personnel changes in Armenia’s Military Police and Defense Ministry as scrutiny grows over a series of non-combat military deaths. 📍 Pashinyan says Armenia is preparing for rising energy demand from its gr...