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Publications

Research

From Dependence to Diversification: Armenia’s Defense Reorientation After Russia’s War in Ukraine

In the new issue of the Caucasus Analytical Digest, Tigran Grigoryan and Eduard Arakelyan analyze the transformation of Armenia’s defense policy following the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine. The article, titled “From Dependence to Diversification: Armenia’s Defense Policy Reorientation After Russia’s War in Ukraine,” argues that the post-2022 period marked a turning point in […]

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This image was generated using AI and is for illustrative purposes only. Any resemblance to real people or events is coincidental.
Research

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

This image was generated using AI and is for illustrative purposes only. Any resemblance to real people or events is coincidental. By Tigran Grigoryan and Hayk Khanumyan Following the ethnic cleansing that took place in Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023 and the forced displacement of the entire population, numerous challenges continue to persist in the process […]

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Articles

When Elites Opt Out: Military Service and Social Inequality in Armenia

In Armenia, representatives of the authorities from time to time make statements that directly affect the prestige of military service and public attitudes toward the army. Particular attention was drawn to remarks by the chairman of the parliamentary committee on defense and security, Andranik Kocharyan, who stated that his son, who has not served in […]

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Democracy Watch

Vladimir Vardanyan’s election and the ongoing politicization of Armenia’s judiciary

#DemocracyWatch — On March 25, 2026, the National Assembly elected Vladimir Vardanyan as a judge of the Constitutional Court. Only members of the ruling “Civil Contract” faction participated in the vote. Vardanyan’s election sparked serious criticism in Armenia, as just days before being elected to the Constitutional Court, he was a member of the ruling party and […]

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Articles

The risks of Pashinyan’s fear-mongering tactics ahead of Armenia’s elections

Two months before the elections, Armenia’s main political forces have effectively launched their campaigns. The ruling Civil Contract party is no exception, with many of the statements and narratives promoted by its high-ranking members likely to dominate the pre-election discourse in the coming weeks. One of these key narratives is the assertion that a war […]

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Articles

The Eyes and Brains of Modern Warfare: The Armenia-Safran Partnership

On March 27, during an official visit to France, Armenian Defense Minister Papikyan held talks in Paris with the head of the defense division of the French company Safran Electronics & Defense. Following the meeting, an agreement was signed, the details of which (product nomenclature and amount) are not officially disclosed. The very fact of […]

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Articles

Pashinyan’s Assertions and The Realities of Nagorno-Karabakh’s Final Battle

On March 26, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that claims of fighting taking place in Artsakh on September 19, 2023, do not correspond to reality. He added that, according to Armenian intelligence, the lion’s share of the weaponry in the arsenal of the NKR Defense Army was not utilized during the military actions of […]

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Democracy Watch

Pashinyan and the Instrumentalization of Hate Speech Against NK Refugees

By Tigran Grigoryan #DemocracyWatch – In July 2025, when our think tank—the Regional Center for Democracy and Security—published a report on hate speech targeting refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh, we identified several important patterns related to this phenomenon. The first was that the volume of hate speech against refugees increases during periods of domestic political tension. In […]

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Articles

Iran’s Kharg Island as a Target of Military Operations: Risks of War Escalation

Since February 28, the United States and Israel have been carrying out continuous strikes on Iranian territory. In response, Iran has been using its available arsenal to strike Israel and the infrastructure of U.S. military bases in the region. These actions have also led to restrictions on navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, causing a […]

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