Publications

Articles

Passivity in Defense as Delayed Defeat: What Kind of Army Is Armenia Trying to Build?

By Eduard Arakelyan Reform of Armenia’s Armed Forces has been under discussion for several years now. During this time certain processes are taking place: the manning system is changing, weapons are being procured from various states, defense cooperation is expanding, and a domestic defense industry is developing. Still, the real state of the army is […]

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Articles

Protecting the Rights of Nagorno-Karabakh Refugees Requires a Multifaceted Approach

On September 23, the Human Rights Protection Committee of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia had organized a discussion about the socio-economic and legal issues Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians face. It seemed that this should have been one of the rare platforms where it was possible to speak, without excessive politicization, about the problems tens […]

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Research

Consolidating State Strategies: An Attempt to Transform the Strategic Management System

The image was created using AI tools. By Hayk Khanumyan The ongoing process of restructuring Armenia’s system of state strategies can formally be viewed as a change in the number and structure of strategic documents. However, the substance of these changes goes beyond mechanical consolidation. The initiative to develop six major strategies, if implemented according […]

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Articles

“Gandzasargate” and What Lies Behind It

By Tigran Grigoryan The visit to Nagorno-Karabakh for foreign diplomats, organized by the Azerbaijani government, and the events that unfolded during it triggered a strong reaction in Armenia. The most provocative episode was the conduct of Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, at Gandzasar Monastery. Hajiyev not only repeated Azerbaijan’s propaganda narrative about […]

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Research

Transition to a Professional Army: Analysis and Recommendations on the Transformation Concept of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia

By Eduard Arakelyan The Armed Forces Transformation Concept, designed for the 2024–2035 period, is an open professional document that coordinates the main directions of reform. The document is general in nature and does not contain detailed implementation mechanisms. In addition to the public component, there is a classified section covering governance, military science, troop training, […]

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Articles

Armenia’s Unresolved War Casualty Record, Six Years Later

By Eduard Arakelyan The Investigative Committee of Armenia has once again reported that 3,833 people were killed as a result of the 2020 Second Karabakh War, of whom 3,755 were military personnel and 78 were civilians. A total of 191 people are listed as missing: 172 military personnel and 19 civilians. These figures were announced […]

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Articles

From Discipline to Prevention: Addressing Non-Combat Deaths in Armenia’s Armed Forces

By Grigori Sahakyan The main indicator of any armed force’s professional maturity is not only the organization of large-scale military parades or the acquisition of modern weapons systems, but also the extent to which the state is capable of protecting the lives and health of its soldiers in peacetime. In this regard, in Armenia, where […]

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Articles

Pashinyan-Putin meeting exposes widening Armenia-Russia divide

By Tigran Grigoryan The recent meeting between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin exposed a widening gap between Yerevan and Moscow over the future of their relationship. Russia continues to view Armenia through the lens of a traditional security alliance, while Yerevan increasingly sees that model as outdated and is seeking […]

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Democracy Watch

Armenia’s growing problem of abusive law enforcement

By Hayk Khanumyan #DemocracyWatch – Following the 2018 Velvet Revolution, law-enforcement agencies increasingly appeared to act on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s metaphorical and often confrontational political rhetoric. In 2018–2019, statements such as “laying someone on the asphalt” and “throwing them against the walls” were followed by highly publicized arrests and displays of force against former officials’ bodyguards […]

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