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Regional Center for Democracy and Security

An independent think tank in Armenia that informs policymakers and the public about regional developments, Armenia’s foreign policy, security environment, and democratic trajectory, fostering evidence-based research and collaboration.

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Latest RCDS news and events

RCDS Calls on International Partners to Impose Visa Restrictions on Individuals Promoting Hate Speech Against Nagorno-Karabakh Refugees

On July 15, the Regional Center for Democracy and Security (RCDS) submitted a letter to the Heads of Diplomatic Missions of the European Union Member States, other Schengen Area countries, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada accredited to Armenia, calling for targeted sanctions, including visa restrictions, against individuals who have systematically promoted hate […]

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RCDS Research Visit to Syunik

Experts from the Regional Center for Democracy and Security visited Syunik from June 15–18, 2026. During the visit, they met with various population groups and local self-government representatives to discuss the process initiated by the Washington documents on August 8, 2025, as well as the potential challenges and opportunities related to the TRIP route. Discussions […]

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Meeting with the Head and Team of the EU Monitoring Mission

From June 15–18, the RCDS team conducted a research visit to Armenia’s Syunik Province. As part of the visit, the team stopped in Yeghegnadzor for an exchange of views with Satu Koivu, Head of the European Union Monitoring Mission in Armenia (EUMA), Marek Kuberski, and members of the Mission’s team. The discussion focused on recent […]

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Fifth Workshop for Nagorno-Karabakh Refugees

On May 23, the fifth workshop organized within the framework of the Regional Center for Democracy and Security’s project “Strengthening the Democratic Engagement of Nagorno-Karabakh Refugees” took place, bringing together individuals who had worked in various sectors in Nagorno-Karabakh. Ani Grigoryan, head of CivilNet’s fact-checking team, spoke about media literacy and combating disinformation, presenting the […]

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Latest Publications
Democracy Watch

What Armenia’s democratic backsliding means for civil society and international partners

By Tigran Grigoryan #DemocracyWatch – Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary elections were the most geopoliticized in the country’s modern history. All the major external actors involved in the South Caucasus had clear preferences in the race and were actively engaged during the pre-election period in promoting their respective agendas. While Russia supported the opposition through its […]

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Articles

Azerbaijan Builds Combat Readiness While Armenia Falls Behind in Operational Training

by Eduard Arakelyan Last week, Azerbaijan showcased several key developments in the evolution of its armed forces. The country conducted training flights of its new JF-17 Block III fighter jets, launched large-scale ground forces exercises, and had its special operations forces participate in joint survival training with Serbian troops. Taken together, these activities reflect Baku’s […]

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Research

Parliamentary Elections in Armenia and Hate Speech Against Nagorno-Karabakh Refugees: June 2026

By Hayk Khanumyan The campaign for Armenia’s 2026 National Assembly elections ended on June 5, with voting taking place on June 7. Compared to May—which was saturated with hate speech targeting forcibly displaced people from Nagorno-Karabakh and featured incidents involving senior public officials, community leaders, and other political actors—June saw fewer such incidents involving high-ranking […]

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Democracy Watch

Why Armenia’s new voting law threatens democratic norms

By Tatevik Ghazaryan #DemocracyWatch – From July 1 to 3, the National Assembly of Armenia, in what was effectively a 24-hour legislative process conducted over two readings and without prior public consultations, adopted amendments to the Electoral Code and the Law on Referendums, making the right to vote conditional on a period of actual residence in Armenia. […]

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