EVN Report Podcast

In EVN Report's news roundup for the week of October 24: Gyumri's controversial mayor, Vardan Ghukasyan, is detained on corruption charges; Armenian and Azerbaijani civil society representatives meet in Yerevan; Baku lifts its ban on cargo transit to Armenia through Azerbaijani territory; the government announced that mandatory military service will be reduced from two years to 1.5 starting in January 2026 and more.

Վերջին տասը տարիներին լուսանկարչությամբ հետաքրքրվող երևանցիների ու մայրաքաղաքի հյուրերի համար միակ հստակ ուղղությունը Միրզոյան գրադարանն էր՝ բացառիկ ֆոտոգրքերով, առաջադեմ ցուցահանդեսներով, ինքնատիպ սրճարանով և միջավայրով։ Սակայն, 2025 թվականին Գրադարանը փակեց դռները։ Ի՞նչ է ասում նման կայացած նախաձեռնության անկումը տեղական մշակութային դաշտի մասին։ Ի՞նչ հեռանկարներ ունեն ծանր տնտեսական պայմաններում գործող նման անկախ մշակութային կազմակերպությունները։ Այս ցավոտ հարցերին լավատեսական պատասխաններն ենք փնտրում Գրադարանի հիմնադիր տնօրեն, լուսանկարիչ Կարեն Միրզոյանի հետ զրույցում:

Tim Jemal, president of Global ARM, discusses the recently introduced PEACE Act — a U.S. congressional bill that he says “puts a target on Aliyev's back,” sanctioning Azerbaijan's leadership, military capacity, and financial institutions tied to its oil and gas sector in the event of renewed aggression against Armenia. Jemal also outlines Global ARM's strategic approach to political advocacy, one designed to counter Azerbaijan's powerful lobbying machine and strengthen coordinated, global pro-Armenia and pro-Artsakh efforts.

In EVN Report's news roundup for the week of October 17: Tensions deepen between the Armenian government and the Church; PM Pashinyan announces next stage of border demarcation to take place along section of planned TRIPP route; U.S. lawmakers introduce the PEACE Act to sanction Azerbaijan's leadership and state oil company SOCAR for aggression against Armenia and more.

From organizing the first energy conference in 1992, which concluded that the Medzamor Nuclear Power Plant should be restarted for the country's survival, to developing AI algorithms combating disinformation campaigns against Armenia, ARPA Institute has long been at the intersection of research, innovation and national strategies for the future. Dr. Hagop Panossian, founder and president of the institute, speaks about the solutions-based approach that has defined ARPA's work for more than three decades.

Human rights advocate and founder of Democracy Today, one of Armenia's longest-standing human rights NGOs, Gulnara Shahinian reflects on her decades-long fight against modern slavery, human trafficking, and gender-based violence. From leading international missions to empowering women in Armenia's border communities, she shares how conviction, courage and compassion have guided her life's work.

Բայց և սակայն, այնուամենայնիվ… Վերջին երկու տարիներին Հայաստանի ժամանակակից արվեստը ներկայացվել է Ֆրանսիայի, Գերմանիայի, ԱՄՆ-ի և այլ երկրների խոշոր կենտրոններում։ Այս աննախադեպ միջազգային տեսանելիությունը կառուցողական քաղաքականություն գործարկելու շառժառիթ է։ Միաժամանակ, այս հագեցած մշակութային «արտահանումները» ի հայտ են բերում մի շարք խնդիրներ. ինչպե՞ս ինքնաներկայացնել հայության ներկա իրավիճակը, պե՞տք է արդյոք մշակել միասնական ռազմավարություն և ո՞վ ընդհանրապես ունի իրավունք ներկայացնելու «հայկական» օրակարգը միջազգային մշակույթի ականապատ խաղադաշտում։ Այս և այլ հարցերի շուրջ Վիգեն Գալստյանը զրուցում է համադրող, «Ահա կոլեկտիվի» տնօրեն Նաիրի Խաչատուրեանի հետ։

In EVN Report's news roundup for the week of October 10: Former President Robert Kocharyan gives lengthy press conference, announces his alliance will run in next year's parliamentary elections; Yerevan's Zvartnots International Airport announces $500 million expansion plan; two relatives of missing soldiers charged following scuffles with police during last week's protest and more.

Why did Ilham Aliyev agree to sign the Washington Accords and start the process of normalization? Nerses Kopalyan explains that the decision was rooted in a strategic recalibration, shifts in U.S. negotiation tactics, incentive structures and Baku's internal calculations about its future leverage.

Հայաստանի տեխնոլոգիական համայնքին մեկ հարկի տակ համախմբող «ԴիջիԹեք»-ի այս տարվա հագեցած միջոցառումներին ու հնարավորություններին անդրադարձող հոդվածի ՁայնաԳիրը:

In EVN Report's news roundup for the week of October 3: Pashinyan and Aliyev meet on sidelines of the European Political Summit; Health Ministry to roll out universal healthcare next year; Armenia to build a small modular nuclear reactor to replace the aging Metsamor plant and more.

In EVN Report's news roundup for the week of September 26: The mayor of Parakar and an off duty police officer are killed, the suspect is in police custody; Armenia hosts NATO seminars, in attendance are Turkish and Azerbaijani delegations; the government cuts back on the defence budget for 2026 but promises universal healthcare.

ReA Comics, a recently established publication focusing on graphic storytelling is presenting some of its inaugural publications to the readers this fall. Bedo Demirdjian, one of the co-founders of the publication, speaks not just of the vision behind the initiative, but of community, culture and the search for a new kind of an Armenian reader.

In EVN Report's news roundup for the week of September 19: The European Court of Human Rights has issued its most significant ruling in regards to the deadly March 1, 2008 crackdown on protesters in Yerevan; the head of Armenia's National Security Service is in Baku leading a delegation participating in an International Security Forum and Netherlands has pledged €14 million in aid to help Karabakh refugees with affordable housing.

Disinformation campaigns are strategic tools designed to erode political culture rather than foster healthy debate. In this episode, Dr. Nerses Kopalyan explains how coordinated disinformation endangers Armenia's resilience and security, and how society can build immunity against it.

In EVN Report's news roundup for the week of September 12: U.S. pledges $145 million in assistance as first major step toward making TRIPP initiative a reality; Turkish delegation led by special envoy crosses Margara Crossing into Armenia for sixth round of talks; Defense Ministry proposes shortening compulsory military service by six months and more.

Տեխնոլոգիական դիվանագիտություն կոչվող նոր երևույթը, դրա զարգացումն ու կարևորությունն ուսումնասիրող հոդվածի ՁայնաԳիրը։

A pioneer, innovator, and world authority on self-repairing electronic systems, Dr. Yervant Zorian bridges cutting-edge technology with a deep commitment to Armenia's future. As Chief Architect at Synopsys, President of Synopsys Armenia, and founder of the Armenian Virtual College, he has spent decades shaping the global tech industry while expanding educational opportunities for Armenians worldwide.

In EVN Report's news roundup for the week of September 5: Armenia and China sign strategic partnership; the Investigative Committee confirms a case of treason within Armenia's foreign ministry; the OSCE announces it will dissolve the Minsk Group and more.

Արվեստի պատմաբան և համադրող Նայիրի Խաչատուրեանի՝ Արաքսի ափին հայ-իրանական արվեստի հաստատության ձևաչափի տեսլականի ՁայնաԳիրը։

In EVN Report's news roundup for the week of August 29: The full texts of the three MOUs signed between Pashinyan and Trump are released; Armenia and the UK agree to elevate their relationship to a strategic partnership; Pakistan, which has refused to recognize Armenia, is now in talks with the Armenian foreign ministry about possibly establishing diplomatic relations and more.

Հայաստանում 500 միլիոն ԱՄՆ դոլար արժողությամբ «արհեստական բանականության գործարան» կառուցելու ներդրումային նախագիծ կիրականացվի «ՆՎԻԴԻԱ»-ի, «Ֆայրբրդ»-ի և Հայաստանի կառավարության նախաձեռնությամբ։ Անի Թորոյանը ներկայացնում է, թե ինչ ազդեցություն կարող է ունենալ այդ կենտրոնը երկրի տեխնոլոգիական էկոհամակարգի, էներգետիկ ենթակառուցվածքների զարգացման և Հայաստանի՝ ԱԲ նորարարությունների տարածաշրջանային հանգույց դառնալու գործընթացում։

How do you teach one of history's darkest chapters to new generations? Roxanne Makasdjian, co-founder and Executive Director of The Genocide Education Project (GenEd), joins EVN Report's Maria Titizian to explore the initiative's origins and its influence on how American educators approach the Armenian Genocide and human rights in the classroom. She also shares insights about GenEd's Teacher Fellowship Program, an immersive experience that brings educators to Armenia to engage directly with the history and memory of genocide.

Հունաստանի և Մակեդոնիայի Նախկին Հարավսլավական Հանրապետության միջև տասնամյակներ տևած վեճը լուծվեց Պրեսպայի համաձայնագրով, որը պահանջում էր սահմանադրական հոդվածների և նախաբանի փոփոխություններ։ Ադրբեջանը ևս Հայաստանից պահանջում է սահմանադրական փոփոխություններ, սակայն արդյոք հնարավոր է հարցը լուծել Պրեսպայի օրինակով՝ մեկնաբանում է Ջորջ Մենեշեանը։

In EVN Report's news roundup for the week of August 22: Iran's president makes his first official visit to Armenia; Armenia allocates $3.2 million to hire an international law firm to represent it at the Stockholm Arbitration Tribunal and the Corruption Prevention Commission rules that PM Pashinyan twice violated the code of conduct in public statements.

Հայաստանի և Ադրբեջանի միջև խաղաղության համաձայնագրից զատ արդարադատության հասնելու տարբերակների մասին պատմող իրավաբան Գաբրիել Արմաս-Կարդոնայի հոդվածի ՁայնաԳիրը։

2026 is going to be quite the eventful year for Armenia, with parliamentary elections in June and the country hosting global events like COP17—the UN's biodiversity summit—in October. To understand what COP17 means for Armenia, the preparations required and the challenges involved in hosting global negotiations about the future of the planet, we spoke with Tatiana Der Avedissian, head of business development for Economist Impact's World Ocean Initiative, and sits on The Economist Group's sustainability steering committee.

Իրանի շուրջ զարգացումների և Հարավային Կովկասի, մասնավորապես, Հայաստանի անվտանգության վրա դրա հավանական և ուղղակի ազդեցությունների մասին պատմող Աննա Գևորգյանի հոդվածի Ձայնագիրը։

In 2018, Canadian-Armenian screen and stage actress Arsinée Khanjian made headlines for her vociferous support of Armenia's Velvet Revolution. It was to be her last major public appearance until only a few months ago—a long period marked by a life-threatening illness and vicious backlash following the 2020 Artsakh War. Reflecting on this traumatic experience, Khanjian made her return to the stage in the auto-fictional play, “Donation” directed by her creative and life partner Atom Egoyan. In an EVN Report exclusive, the actress breaks her silence on how her relationship to Armenian culture and her art have transformed over these past fateful years.

On April 25, renowned Canadian-Armenian filmmaker Atom Egoyan premiered his first dramatic play “Donation” on the main stage of Berlin's Maxim Gorki Theater. Specially commissioned by the theater's artistic director Shermin Langhoff for the month-long festival “100+10-Armenian Allegories”, this autofictional two-hander starring Arsineé Khanjian delves into complex themes of artistic legacy, the slippages of memory and the ambivalent relationship between artists and art institutions. In this exclusive interview, Egoyan talks with Vigen Galstyan on the difficult process of writing and directing this deeply personal, yet sharply political opus.

In EVN Report's news roundup for the week of August 15: what the Washington Accords promise to bring to the South Caucasus; family of billionaire Samvel Karapetyan launches a $500 million investment arbitration against Armenia; as the Nubarashen landfill burns, the Yerevan Municipality announces plans for Armenia's first waste recycling plant.

Political scientist, economist, author and public intellectual Cengiz Aktar, who spearheaded the landmark 2008 “I Apologize” campaign challenging the Turkish state's official denial of the Armenian Genocide, speaks with piercing honesty in this episode of Up Close & Personal with EVN Report's Maria Titizian. He reflects on Turkey's politics, its fractured memory, and the enduring weight of “collective amnesia”. For Aktar, confronting the truth of the Genocide is not only a moral imperative; it is the key to breaking the nation's cycle of repression.

Վաշինգթոնում ձեռքբերված համաձայնություններին ու դրանց՝ Հայաստանին որպես լրացուցիչ անվտանգային երաշխիք ներկայացնող Դավիթ Պետրոսյանի հոդվածի ձայնագիրը։

On August 8, the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the United States signed landmark agreements in Washington aimed at closing a chapter on decades of conflict and paving the way for normalization, economic connectivity and stability. Nerses Kopalyan joins us to explore how these accords came to be, the challenges and concerns they face, and the opportunities they present for the region's future.

In EVN Report's news roundup for the week of August 1: The Prime Minister's speaker clarifies Armenia's position on the Syunik route; Armenia to temporarily host Palestine's endangered cultural heritage at the Matenadaran; ICRC's final visit to Armenian detainees in Baku as office faces forced closure by Azerbaijan and more.

In EVN Report's news roundup for the week of July 25: An international arbitration court orders Armenia to halt efforts to seize control of ENA; Azerbaijani President Aliyev accuses Armenia of stalling key infrastructure projects, warns of deepening political isolation; PM Pashinyan unveils plans to remove the Catholicos, calling it a spiritual mission to renew the Church and society.

A U.S. proposal to lease a transit route through Armenian territory to connect Azerbaijan with Nakhichevan has sparked debate over sovereignty, security and regional power dynamics. Dr. Nerses Kopalyan offers expert insight into the implications and possible outcomes.

In EVN Report's news roundup for the week of July 18: a U.S.-backed proposal to lease a 32-km stretch of Armenian territory linking Azerbaijan to Nakhichevan raises questions over sovereignty; PM Nikol Pashinyan holds a marathon press conference on regional connectivity, Armenia's EU path, the CSTO and more; and from detention, Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan announces plans to launch a new political party.

In EVN Report's news roundup for the week of July 11: The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan hold a high-level meeting in Abu Dhabi; three Armenian parliamentarians are stripped of their immunity and face criminal charges; seven members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation are detained in terrorism-related investigations and more.

Artur Papyan, Director of MDI Armenia and Co-founder of CyberHUB-AM, opens up about his childhood in Gyumri, his journey through international study, his lifelong passion for tech and gadgets, and candidly shares his thoughts on Armenia's evolving media landscape, including his favorite football team, in this episode of Up Close & Personal with EVN Report's Maria Titizian.

Following the 12-day Israel-Iran War and a dramatic U.S. strike on Iran's nuclear sites, Armenia faces new geopolitical risks. Dr. Nerses Kopalyan joins us to examine the implications for Yerevan's foreign policy, explore the limits of neutrality, and assess how Armenia can navigate rising regional volatility by utilizing strategic ambiguity.

In EVN Report's news roundup for the week of July 4: EU unveils €270 million Resilience and Growth Plan for Armenia; Parliament passes amendments that could pave the way for nationalization of Electric Networks of Armenia and Tashir Group calls it politically motivated expropriation and warns Armenia could face international arbitration.

MIT nuclear physicist Dr. Areg Danagoulian analyzes Iran's nuclear weapons program following recent Israeli strikes, assessing regional security implications for Armenia. The conversation explores Armenia's nuclear energy future, the need for small reactors to replace aging infrastructure, and challenges in developing nuclear engineering expertise domestically.

In EVN Report's news roundup for the week of June 27: Tensions continue to escalate between the Armenian government and the Church; Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, who led last year's opposition protests, has been detained on charges of attempting to overthrow the government; National Security Service officers clash with supporters and clergy at the Holy See of Etchmiadzin while trying to detain another archbishop and more.

In EVN Report's news roundup for the week of June 20: Israel-Iran conflict starting to have ripple effects in Armenia; Russian-Armenian billionaire is in pretrial detention on charges of inciting the seizure of power; PM Nikol Pashinyan is in Turkey at Erdogan's invitation and more.

World Bank senior economist Julie Rosenberg discusses Armenia's path to green growth, focusing on reducing natural gas dependency, expanding solar energy, addressing water management challenges, and implementing key policy and financing reforms outlined in the Country Climate and Development Report.

In EVN Report's news roundup for the week of June 13: Armenia condemns attack on Iran, urges calm; a $500 million public-private partnership to build cutting-edge AI infrastructure in Armenia is unveiled by Firebird, the Armenian Government and NVIDIA; gas explosion in Gegharkunik kills five, injures over a dozen and more.

Հայաստանը «Արևմտյան Ադրբեջան» անվանող նոր թափ առած խոսույթի մասին Տաթևիկ Հայրապետյանի ուսումնասիրության ՁայնաԳիրը։

Armenia hosted the second Yerevan Dialogue in partnership with France, India, and Poland. Nerses Kopalyan, author of the EVN Security Report series, talks about the strategic implications of this emerging partnership and what securitized minilateralism could mean for Armenia's evolving security architecture.

In EVN Report's news roundup for the week of June 6: Two teenagers from Syunik region accidentally cross into Azerbaijani territory; France opens an Honorary Consulate in Syunik's town of Goris; tensions between PM Nikol Pashinyan and the Church flare up once again and more.

In EVN Report's news roundup for the week of May 30: Azerbaijani forces open fire on Armenian territory for the second day in a row; Yerevan hosts the second edition of Yerevan Dialogue; Armenians mark the independence of the First Armenian Republic on May 28 and more.