H. Hovnanian Family Foundation Awards $240,000 to Advance Youth Empowerment Ac

YEREVAN — Across Armenia, young people are increasingly stepping forward as leaders in their communities, launching local initiatives, exploring careers in science, and building networks that promote healthy lifestyles and civic engagement. Supporting this momentum, the H. Hovnanian Family Foundation has awarded $240,000 in grants to eight initiatives through its fourth-quarter 2025 Youth Empowerment Armenian grant cycle.

These projects will expand opportunities for youth across Armenia in three areas: science, sports and healthy lifestyles, and civic awareness and activism. 

“Interest in this grant cycle was strong. We are encouraged by the diversity of this round’s applicants and awardees, both in geographic representation and fields of focus,” said Anahit Hakobyan, (Grants) Program Manager at the H. Hovnanian Family Foundation. “The eight selected projects span across Armenia and cover activities from math and physics olympiads to GIS mapping, hiking, and civic preparedness.”

The PhysMath Friends Charitable Foundation will expand Armenia’s mathematics and physics Olympiad model to the regions. The project will revise Olympiad curricula, train eight regional instructors to help run newly established Olympiad clubs in Lori, Shirak, Kotayk, and Armavir. Approximately 180 high school students will gain access to advanced instruction and mentorship to prepare them for national and international competitions. 

Hyphen4 Lab will implement a seven-month mapping program in six communities, combining civic learning with practical digital and spatial skills. The project will train university students as fellows to work with TUMO students aged 12 to 18 conducting community mapping workshops. Together, participants will collect and refine open-access GIS datasets on infrastructure, public spaces, and other local assets, strengthening youth digital literacy while also supporting more informed local planning and dialogue with municipalities.

In Lori the Resilient Stepanavan Foundation will support the development of the Stepanavan Community Sports School, which currently serves 174 youth through wrestling, football, table tennis, boxing, and chess clubs, and will also reach additional participants through amateur volleyball, basketball and table tennis activities. The municipality will continue to cover core operational costs, including maintenance and coaches’ salaries, helping to ensure long-term sustainability.

Girls of Armenia Leadership Sports (GOALS) will carry out a one-year program for 250 girls aged 11 to 15 across 20 communities. Combining intercommunity sports activities with educational workshops, hybrid sessions, and self-guided learning materials, the program is designed to strengthen leadership, teamwork, confidence, and civic awareness. It will culminate in the GOALS Girls Summit in Yerevan in fall 2026, bringing together participants from across Armenia for a national event centered on learning, exchange, and inspiration.

The Boon Scientific-Cultural Foundation (BoonTV), through its project ‘Through the Mountains,’ will engage more than 50 young people aged 16 to 35 in five guided hikes to lesser-known mountain and nature sites in Tavush and Vayots Dzor. Participants will receive training in outdoor safety and skills, while also learning about healthy lifestyles, teamwork, environmental responsibility, and local communities. Implemented in partnership with Armenian Geographic, a five-episode documentary series will be produced for national broadcast and online distribution.

The Information and Education Development Network (INEDNET) will implement a program in 5 to 7 communities to help young people take a more active role in local governance. The project will train 15 to 20 youth leaders aged 16 to 30 through a seven-day residential program focused on designing community initiatives. With mentorship and municipal engagement, participants will refine their ideas and present them to the public for voting through participatory budgeting processes. 

In Vanadzor and surrounding communities the NGO Center will run a civic engagement program directly involving 60 young people aged 16 to 30. Through these workshops, simulation games and mentorships, participants will design and implement 20 youth-led community initiatives. A Youth Advisory Council attached to the Vanadzor Municipality will be established to contribute to the co-development of a local youth policy and five-year development plan, helping to institutionalize youth participation at the local level.

The Azatazen Educational NGO will expand its youth programming beyond Yerevan through an initiative serving 300 young people aged 15 to 20, mostly in the Lori region. The program will provide practical training in first aid, physical and emergency preparedness, outdoor safety, and civic responsibility. By focusing on hands-on knowledge and community resilience, the initiative will equip participants with concrete skills to support personal safety and broader civic preparedness.

Taken together, the selected projects reflect a broad understanding of youth empowerment: one that includes academic opportunities, healthy, active lifestyles, and meaningful participation in community life. While the eight projects differ in format and geography, all aim to equip young people with stronger skills, broader networks, and greater confidence to contribute to Armenia’s future.

Asbarez: Zadik Zadikian to Represent Armenian Pavilion at 61st Annual Venice B

Zadik Zadikian


BY ALEJANDRO JASSAN

VENICE — The Republic of Armenia presents The Studio, a solo project by artist Zadik Zadikian, for the Pavilion of the Republic of Armenia at the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. The project is co-curated by legendary art dealer Tony Shafrazi, whose decades-long relationship and close collaboration with Zadikian shape the conceptual framework of the Pavilion, alongside Boston-based curator and cultural strategist Tina Chakarian, who has played a central role in advancing Armenia’s presence at La Biennale di Venezia since 2015 as Commissioner and Development Director of the Armenian Pavilion. On view from May 9 through November 22, the Pavilion reimagines the exhibition space as a living studio—an active site of production, transformation, and renewal that unfolds over the full duration of La Biennale di Venezia.

This presentation marks the continuation of Shafrazi and Zadikian’s decades-long collaboration, which began in the late 1970s with Zadikian’s first solo exhibition in Tehran at Shafrazi’s then-new eponymous gallery, just weeks before the fall of Iran’s ruling shah and on the cusp of the profound political and social transformations that would follow. At that time, a young Zadikian observed laborers carefully stacking clay bricks to dry in the open air at a facility nearly 200 miles from Tehran. “I was completely taken by the way they were making sculptures without knowing what they were doing,” he recalls. Ever since, the brick has become a central material and conceptual anchor in his work, continuing to inform Zadikian’s sustained engagement with repetition, labor, and the transformation of basic forms into complex structures.

In Venice, Zadikian will operate a fully functioning studio, in which objects—principally plaster bricks of varying scales and pigments—are formed, cast, and assembled by the artist and his studio assistants over the course of the exhibition. Each composite form is built by stacking multiple individual bricks of different sizes that remain separate and movable, allowing the arrangement to change and develop over time. This emphasis on repetition and physical presence places the project in dialogue with early modernist and post-Minimalist sculpture, recalling the work of Richard Serra, Sol LeWitt, and Carl Andre, and reflecting a shared inquiry by both Zadikian and Shafrazi into form and the experience of space.

Aptly titled “The Studio”, the installation invites visitors to witness and engage directly with Zadikian’s process and materials, allowing the work to unfold in real time. By making production visible, the project challenges the often ritualized and private conventions of the artist’s studio, reframing it instead as a site of openness, exchange, and collective labor. In this way, “The Studio” recalls the legacy of Pop Art’s factories and ateliers—most notably Andy Warhol’s Factory—while emphasizing sustained, hands-on production over spectacle. As critic Carlo McCormack observes, “’The Studio’, for Zadikian, is workroom, factory, and laboratory at once—a locus of constant production, invention, and reinvention, a place of infinite possibility where art is not simply what is made; it is the study of its creation, and what we make of it.”

Furthermore, Chakarian’s longstanding engagement with Armenia’s cultural infrastructure—both within the Republic and across its global diaspora—inflects the Pavilion with a broader commitment to visibility, continuity, and international dialogue. Since 2015, as Commissioner and Development Director of the Armenian Pavilion at La Biennale di Venezia, she has played a central role in shaping Armenia’s sustained presence on this global stage, overseeing curatorial development, institutional partnerships, and strategic fundraising efforts. Her work bridges generations of artists working in Yerevan and abroad, positioning Armenian contemporary art within an expansive transnational discourse while honoring its distinct historical and cultural narratives.

“The Studio” will be located within the Arsenale Militare, a vast complex of shipyards and armories that for over 900 years served as the heart of Venetian naval power. Over the course of La Biennale di Venezia, hundreds of plaster bricks will be cast, stacked, disassembled, and reassembled within the Pavilion, allowing the installation to evolve continuously through ongoing production. Here, process is neither theatricalized nor concealed. As McCormack states, “the act of making is not staged, but neither is it hidden.”

The Venice presentation follows Zadikian’s recent inclusion in a major group exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum, “Solid Gold” (November 16, 2024–July 6, 2025), where his work “Path to Nine” (2024) took the form of a luminous wall composed of 999 gold leaf–covered bars, extending his long-standing engagement with modularity, material transformation, and symbolic value.

Zadik Zadikian (b. 1948, Erevan, Soviet Armenia) has spent over five decades creating works that challenge both the materials and ideologies of contemporary art. A daring escape from the Soviet Union in his youth marked the beginning of an extraordinary journey, from his training under Benjamino Bufano to his longstanding friendship with Richard Serra. Zadikian’s work, particularly his exploration of gilded forms, has established him as one of the leading sculptors in the realm of contemporary alchemy. His pieces, often crafted from gold leaf, suggest a transcendence of time and place, pushing boundaries while creating worlds that seem to belong to another realm entirely.

Learn more about the exhibition at the 2026 Armenian Pavilion website.

168: Iran is raising the alarm. A potential conflict around the islands could turn into a lai

March: 26, 2026

In the evening, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Ghalibaf, made the most remarkable statement of the day, with signs of caution and warning at the same time.

“According to some information, Iran’s enemies are planning to occupy one of the Iranian islands with the support of one of the regional states. All enemy movements are under full control of our armed forces.

If they cross that line, all the vital infrastructure of that regional state, without exception, will become the target of relentless attacks.”

Ghalibaf is actually one of the most influential figures in Iran. They say that he coordinates the actions of the IHPK. And what he said should be taken seriously. This can also be a tactical lie or a threat, but it should not be ignored. Accordingly, a few points about this.

First, about the islands. according to their functional significance in the context of the conflict, they can be divided into 2-3 groups (the third is conditional “others”).

The islands in the Strait of Hormuz are the most important for military operations. These allow Iran to have full control over the strait.

From here, both rockets/UAVs can be launched, and sea mines can be deployed. It is thanks to them that the strait is limited, because control from land alone would not be as effective.

According to the functional division, the second is Kharg Island, which is one of the most important centers of oil production in Iran, if not the most important. It is in the north of the Persian Gulf, away from the strait.

If the islands of the strait are for attack, then defense is a priority here, because the island itself can be a target for the USA and Israel.

The mysterious regional state can be either the UAE or Saudi Arabia. The first received the most missiles from Iran during the current war.

But more importantly, the UAE has claims to three of the strait islands under Iranian control (Abu Musa, Great Tunb, Little Tunb). These islands were occupied by the Iranian army in 1971, when the British forces were withdrawing from the region.

This pretension could create a pretext for the US to occupy those islands, plant the UAE flag there, and establish itself there under that country’s flag.

The other version of the mysterious regional state could be Saudi Arabia, which is one of Iran’s main competitors in the region. The two countries have recently come to terms with each other through the mediation of China.

The participation of other Arab states is less likely. In the case of Qatar and Bahrain, the geography does not allow it, because the American soldiers have to pass through the territory of at least one more state.

Oman remained neutral and was the mediator of the US-Iran negotiations. In the case of Iraq and Kuwait, the danger from Iran is much greater than in the case of other states.

 Western specialists have been talking about the option of seizing the Iranian islands for at least two weeks. Both Kharg and the islands near the strait are observed.

In the first case, by capturing Kharg, the USA and Israel can deprive Iran of its oil supply, suffocate it from the energy-economic side and force it to make concessions.

In the second case, by capturing the islands of the strait, they can stop at least the spreading of sea mines from those islands and make those islands a springboard for further operations. It is unlikely that the strait will be opened, but during the passage of the ships, air defense will have more time to react to Iranian missiles.

But the capture of the islands is the first difficult operation, and after that will come the second, more difficult one, to fortify and hold them. The territory of the islands is much closer to the territory of Iran, therefore targeting them is much easier and accessible for Iran.

And even if these difficulties are overcome, there is the next problem. the capture of the islands can further aggravate the situation (the threat of Ghalibaf is a witness) and lead to a longer war or at least the formation of a similar expectation.

And it will be disastrous for the oil/energy market. Now the market still hopes that the war will eventually come to a stage where passage through the strait will become possible and oil and gas will flow again.

And if the war moves to the stage of ground operations, the appearance of American soldiers on the territory of Iran, the expected duration of the war will certainly be extended several times, and the expectations will go in the direction of price increases.

 By the way, the issue of fertilizers is also related to this. Last week I was in a lecture (on a different topic) and some of the students whose families are involved in farming confirmed that the price of fertilizer has gone up.

And yes, it is also related to the situation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Fertilizer production is energy-intensive, and fuel is subsidized in Iran. Therefore, the production of fertilizer is cheap and can be exported (also to Armenia).

But when the Strait of Hormuz is closed, the energy needed for fertilizers increases in price, the production in other countries increases, the supply of fertilizers produced by Iran has also stopped, the prices of fertilizers in the world have generally increased.

Of course, Russia, which is also a fertilizer exporter, takes advantage of the opportunity. But in the conditions of general scarcity, Russian fertilizer has also become more expensive.

Iran today Telegram channel

… Then you will silently but applaud for your shame. Not Pashinya

March: 26, 2026

On March 11, the person who usurped the seat of the RA Prime Minister in the European Parliament, overthrew the constitutional order, bombarded his own people and subjected them to political, spiritual and moral repression, caused the deprivation of hundreds of thousands of compatriots, ethnic cleansing, and the suffering of our brothers in Baku prisons, also referred to me, Archbishop Bagrat. Galstanyanis and the Armenian Church in general with lies and deceit specific to him.

I will not refer to him in this writing, because everything with him is more than clear.

My speech is addressed to the members of the European Parliament, who stood and applauded lies and lies. Frankly, the years and events have documented your double standards, how you can violate human rights, individual and national, morality, justice and truth, driven by your own vested interests, out of your geopolitical expediency, and at the same time, shout the loudest about it all.

With all this, let me turn to the speech as a phenomenon. Perhaps, it is a unique or unprecedented case in world history and civilization, when the head of the country complains or, more precisely, gossips about his opponents and those who do not share his views from such a high international platform.

On the contrary, we have seen that this role was assumed by the opponents of the government of the day and/or those who were subjected to political persecution, trying to draw attention to the problems and illegalities in their country.

You also participated in this transformation.

I am sure that many of you represent peoples with rich historical experience, peoples who faced occupation, partition and injustice. It is hard to imagine that you would applaud those who caused such pages in your own history.

I’m sure you applauded with admiration Archbishop Makarios, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Karol Wojtyla, aka Pope John Paul II, clerics who fought for justice and the freedom and rights of their people.

Let me note that neither I nor my brothers have the ambition to be compared to the above-mentioned clerics, but my struggle was and remains for truth, justice, freedom and reconciliation, defending the rights of my deprived people against lies, falsehood, hatred, violence and extradition, for a sovereign and independent state against dependence and external pressures and dictates.

Why did our movement start?

2024 On March 18, the person occupying the seat of the RA Prime Minister, meeting the local population in the villages of Voskepar and Kirants, threatened the people with the language of blackmail and terror, stating that if they oppose the so-called demarcation and demarcation, they will become the cause of war in a week or ten days, putting actual people under heavy responsibility.

The man who was officially called to protect the security of his people was actually threatening that security himself. Meanwhile, 3 years before that, in 2021, the same person assured the same people that there is no question of handing over villages or territories, and if such a question arises, he will cut off his hand, but he will not hand it over.

This (2021) was an election cycle with obvious vote-rigging.

By the way, there is nothing said about demarcation and demarcation in the KP election campaign program. And after only 3 years, the vote beggar was terrorizing his voters.

What was our position?

The issue of the so-called demarcation and demarcation process has two layers: legal and moral.

Legal. Demarcation and demarcation should be carried out exclusively in accordance with RA internal and international laws and principles and not under the threat of force.

Moral. the head of the country cannot lie, deceive, threaten and terrorize his people and the delimitation must be established according to the principle of justice.

Therefore:

a. Delimitation and border demarcation should be carried out with a general peace package, that is, if it is aimed at establishing peace, then it should be just one component of a comprehensive peace process or document with respect for all legal standards, the establishment of the principle of justice, bilateral compromise, the withdrawal of Azerbaijan from the territories occupied by Armenia, the right of return of the people of Artsakh, the freedom of Armenian prisoners and hostages, and the presence or involvement of mediators and guarantors.

b. Start demarcation and demarcation not from Tavush, the “disputed” territories of the 1990s, but from the RA territories occupied by Azerbaijan in the period 2021-24.

c. Delimitation and demarcation cannot happen unilaterally (it was promised that 900 hectares of land belonging to the village of Berkaber, which is under the control of Azerbaijan, will be returned to Armenia. However, this did not happen and will not happen).

d. Border demarcation is a matter of the entire nation and the state, as well as an interstate issue, and not just the responsibility of the residents of two or three villages, therefore, it is a crime to put all the responsibility on the residents of these villages.

Is demanding all these now misinformation or a clear human and civil demand?

I should also add that the person (the Prime Minister of RA), who claimed in 2022 that the internationally recognized borders of RA (I note that such a thing does not exist) is 29,800 square kilometers, suddenly decided in 2023 that the borders of RA are 29,743 square kilometers. In fact, the “internationally recognized borders” of RA changed in just one year. on what basis, by what principle, by what document or map? Can such an approach inspire confidence in the justice of demarcation? And maybe a little later it will turn out that the borders of RA are 29,800 square kilometers according to the newly discovered international recognition?

 What was the government’s response?

First, an informational attack by the fake factory called “fake SNOC” created by them, through their own media, with curses and slanders that insult human dignity, spreading hate speech and threats, brutal police pressure and illegal arrests.

And on June 12, 2024, in the center of Yerevan, peaceful demonstrators were bombed with banned Zarya-3 bombs, not sparing women and children. Hundreds of people were injured in various degrees, subjected to beatings and violence, persecution and threats of losing their jobs, which continues to this day.

And all this happened with your tacit consent, because you were convinced, both in writing and verbally, that this was a “Russian program”. And you are also righteous people and you have been quietly convinced, although even if you were not convinced, you would have convinced or self-convinced, because it requires your geopolitical position and interest and never truth or justice.

What was your reaction?

Yes, you remained silent and continue to remain silent when there was a war in Artsakh, when the people were fighting for their right to live freely. I think you are the “bearer and encourager” of such ideas. Or do these people have no right to have rights?

You remained silent and continue to remain silent when the people of Artsakh were subjected to ethnic cleansing from their cradle, their leaders ended up in the prisons of your beloved and economically beneficial dictator of Baku, subjected to inhumane tortures with enforced justice.

You are silent about the natural right of the Artsakh people to return to their homeland, about the destruction of the cultural heritage of the Artsakh Armenians, but you applaud the co-author of all this.

You must have heard “Woe to you, hypocrites…blind leaders, because you strain out gnats but swallow camels” (Matt. 23:23-24)

Next would be detention

As of June 25, 2025, I and 17 of my supporters, after almost a year of “wiretapping”, stalking, pressure and persecution, are in detention on patently false charges and fraudulent, falsified so-called “evidence”.

The Armenian Church, the Patriarch of All Armenians, high-ranking clergymen, the national benefactor and all those people who disagreed with the whims of your PEOPLE and spoke about justice and rights, truth, protecting their own identity and values, are being subjected to unprecedented repression in the style of the Soviet dictatorship. Among these are MPs, businessmen, politicians, bloggers, youths, women, etc., who are under arrest and restricted by various false criminal proceedings.

And all this again with your tacit consent.

For almost nine months now, the so-called trial theater has been going on, for nine months it has been accompanied by violations of the presumption of innocence by officials of various levels, Public Television has become an exclusive tool for spreading hatred and slander, the Prosecutor General and the head of the Investigative Committee are spreading obvious slander and falsehood, the Anti-Corruption Committee does not accept the report on the crime of official forgery, that is, the entire legal and law enforcement the system operates solely at the behest and coercion of one person, and that one person is your loved one, whom you will unfortunately sacrifice and sell tomorrow, because no more will become obsolete as a useless tool.

And yes, this is all with your tacit consent.

Last word

Nevertheless, I am ready to be in prison, to undergo all this as much as it will take for the liberation of my country, Armenia, my world. I have no doubt that sooner or later my country will be freed from these shackles, humiliations and humiliations, will regain its life and integrity, and then you will silently but applaud your shame.

And our VICTORY HAS NO OTHER CHOICE…

Long live free, just and God-fearing Armenia

Long live the liberated Artsakh

Prisoner of homeland, prisoner of conscience

Prince Bagrat Galstanyan

22.03.2026

Advent Sunday




Official hysteria is due to this. There are still 2.5 years left before the elections

March: 26, 2026

The idea of ​​Guaranteed Peace is widely spread in the public domain, which obviously collapses the toxicosis of the government’s “peace or war” program.

The official hysteria is due to this. Even 2.5 months before the elections, the main thesis collapses.

The task of our collective opposition is to calmly present to the public the vital necessity and substantive meaning of “Guaranteed Peace”.

We need guaranteed peace.

1. That our lives do not depend on Aliyev’s mood and individual decisions,

2. That way the broken balance of forces will be compensated.

3. So that they don’t tell us that if you don’t change the constitution, there will be a war.

4. So that they don’t say that 300,000 Azerbaijanis must “return”, otherwise there will be a war.

5. So that they don’t say that Sevan is “Goycha”, otherwise there will be an epithet.

6. So that no other demand of Aliyev should be made every day, “otherwise there will be an epithet.”

It is not difficult to explain this to the public, but it is necessary to work purposefully and unitedly.

In order to prevent the continuation of the scenario of official speculation, it is necessary to explain to people that the guaranteed peace.

a.  does not imply peacekeepers

b.   Does not imply the guarantee of only one country

Guaranteed peace is a system of agreements established by international legal mechanisms, provided with clear instruments of control and responsibility.

It includes both external and internal, political and economic security components at the same time.

It includes the launch of alternative roads and communications, the parallel implementation of new major economic and infrastructural projects.

It also implies tranquility and internal stability of public life, exclusion of internal enmity, restoration of justice system and other important aspects.

Vahe Hovhannisyan
Alternative projects group




“If you stayed until the last Artsakh citizen was killed, would you feel good?” “They ran away, they didn’t fight.”

March: 26, 2026

During a briefing with Nikol Pashinyan after the government session, journalists asked him a question about the Azerbaijani military operations aimed at the depopulation of Artsakh on September 19-20, 2023, and whether the people of Artsakh would fight or not.

“After the events of 2023, there was a meeting of the RA Security Council, where the results of the combat operations that took place were analyzed. I, not being able to reveal much, want to record that the claims about fighting and so on are, to put it mildly, untrue, because according to the data of our intelligence and not only intelligence, the lion’s share of the available weapons and ammunition, it could be 80 percent, it could be … percent, remained untouched. Before that, we had created an opportunity for a political process to take place, and some representatives of the ruling circle of Karabakh not only prevented it, but also implemented it. change of power in Karabakh, RA NA congratulated each other. And just a week after those congratulations, the events that happened happened. I warned the representatives of Karabakh at that time, I said: if you leave, know that there will be no chance to return.”

In this context, Pashinyan did not agree with the claims that Azerbaijan carried out genocidal acts in Artsakh.

“It is enough to feed our people with information about the new genocide. And, in general, the race of these genocides should be stopped. In our region, everyone accuses everyone else of genocides. With talk about genocides, by the way, it is hard to say which one happened after, we get talk about genocides, with talk about return we get talk about return.

Read also

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  • IF THE HEAD OF THE STATE SAYS “I WILL NOT BE THERE, THERE WILL BE A WAR, THAT MEANS THE STATE DOES NOT EXIST.” DO NOT BE DECEIVED, THIS GOVERNMENT IS NOT PRO-WESTERN. KAREN BEKARYAN
  • Pashinyan’s statement about the war is a bluff. Azerbaijan will be involved in the conflict between Iran and Israel. Khosrov Harutyunyan

And those myths: they fought to the end, etc., by the way, if necessary, we will declassify those data. I am sure, this dough will carry a lot of water, we will wait for it to do well, to publish the documents of the Nagorno Karabakh negotiation process at the right time, it is a lie, nothing like that happened, they ran away, they looted,” he insisted.

Details in the video




And do the parents of students of USU know what meetings Levon Barseghyan has?

March: 26, 2026

Two days ago, Levon Barseghyan, chairman of the board of trustees of Shirak State University (SSU), founder and head of Gyumri’s “Asparez” club, Levon Barseghyan, appeared on the public about a meeting with the participation of “pro-Westerners” and young people. asparez.am on the website with the caption “Armenian-Azerbaijani dialogue and Armenia after 2018”.

The composition of the participants was impressive and predictable. Head of Globalization and Regional Cooperation Analytical Center Stepan Grigoryan, founder of “Alikmedia” Arsen Kharatyan, Levon Barseghyan… And young people…

Read also

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  • The EU is here to support Armenia in the fight against hybrid threats. Martha Kos in Yerevan
  • Munich-2026. The Security Forum starts in the 3rd city of Germany, Armenia will not participate in the discussions, Aliyev will go to Germany

Judging from the publication, the topic of the meeting should have been peace, lustration, corruption, especially the systemic type of which, according to Levon Barseghyan, has completely disappeared in Armenia, state capture and, of course, Armenian-Azbek “friendship”.

There was nothing interesting here, what was interesting was the participation of young people in that meeting or discussion, and 168.amtried to understand who they were.

It turned out that the students of the history department of Shirak State University (SSU) have been listening to the polls of Levon Barseghyan and other Sorosists for a long time. Moreover, one of the students accompanying the students is Levon Martirosyan, the dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics of USU, who previously had close ties with the ARF members, was proud of those ties, but since 2018 he has been a supporter, bearer and spreader of CP ideas and became the dean of the faculty just for that “earning”.  It is noteworthy that he is known for his anti-church publications and continuous targeting of the Catholicos of All Armenians for years.

Levon Martirosyan’s sister’s son, Vardan Srtashyan, also has political ambitions, he is the tenant of the “Araks” hotel in Gyumri, and we are also interested in his activities in the recent past. we have touched on on time. In this family, the public expression of various political views is normal, because the calculation is made on the well-known thesis “so that the situation changes”.

Մեր թեթև հետաքննությունը պարզեց, որ ուսանողների «վերբովկան» տեղի է ունենում հետևյալ սխեմայով՝ ՇՊՀ հոգաբարձուների խորհրդի նախագահ Լևոն Բարսեղյանը, փաստորեն, իր քաղաքական հայացքները ԲՈՒՀ-ի ուսանողների շրջանում տարածելու համար օգտագործում է իր պաշտոնեական դիրքը, ռեկտոր Երվանդ Սերոբյանին նամակ է գրում, ով էլ այն մակագրում է Պատմության ֆակուլտետի համապատասխան պատասխանատուին: Ամեն դեպքում մեզ հավաստիացրեցին՝ ֆակուլտետի դեկան, ռուսաց լեզվի մասնագետ Աիդա Գարեգինյանը տեղյակ է, որ ուսանողներին նման հանդիպումների են տանում պարբերաբար:

By the way, according to our information, the same rector Yervand Serobyan, through one of the deans of SSU, failed the seminar-discussion to be held on the territory of the 102nd Russian military base regarding the next anniversary of the Turkmencha Treaty, the information about which later appeared in one of the telegram channels connected to the government and was presented as a successful case. In fact, Shirak State University has become a favorite propaganda ground of anti-Russian, so-called pro-Westernism and Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem.

Let’s remind that until 2022 USU had a chair of Russian language, which was closed due to the active efforts of the Syrians of the university. 168.am in detail referred to.

It is noteworthy that Aida Gareginyan, the head of the department combined with foreign languages, according to the students, has never tried to organize an event on Armenian-Russian cultural ties, even formally, which is an unspeakable thing in itself, but since she is also a member of the board of trustees of the State University of Ukraine, perhaps she does not want to anger or upset Levon Barseghyan, with whom she has warm relations.

Moreover, Arshavir Gasparyan, the head of the History and Jurisprudence Chair, personally takes various students of the History Department to these meetings. By the way, the latter’s brother, Henry Gasparyan, is the chief architect of Gyumri.

In fact, students provide “massovka”, create the impression of a crowd, trying to “recruit” with their hands. maybe it will work.

To the honor of the students of SSU, it should be said that they are not the ones who share and support those ideas, they just don’t reject the head of the department, far from trouble. Here a question arises: although the students are, of course, adults and capable of making their own decisions, it is interesting whether their parents are aware that their children participate in the discussions organized by Levon Barseghyan.

We were told that the professors of the Faculty of History do not take part in such meetings, especially those who can embarrass the so-called Soros propagandists.

According to our information, in the last months, if there are events at the State University, and they are related to Russian culture, they are boycotted, instead, similar events are encouraged.

For example, one of the students of USU told us that one of the employees of the Faculty organized an event dedicated to Russian culture, wanted to invite students and professors, but only 1-1.5 months ago they made sure that the event would not take place.

But, for example, it was organized with great solemnity in the same SSU EU expansion with questions commissioner Martha Kosi and: RA:to whom EU ambassador Vasilis Maragosi  the meeting of the ASU sessions in the hall students and: employees with: By the way, posts about that meeting are on the Facebook page of USU and the same “Aparez” club.

   

Returning to the students’ meeting with Levon Barseghyan and various anti-Russians, we notice a remarkable circumstance. And what are the official responsibilities of Levon Barseghyan as the chairman of the board of trustees of USU to organize similar meetings with the participation of students?

In other words, it is an ideal situation in terms of management at the University, and Levon Barseghyan has no other occupation than to satisfy his geopolitical interests through students. And that it is an unmanageable complex in SSU, the numerous publications of 168.am are a vivid example of this.




“The state debt per capita in Armenia has reached 4700 US dollars, last year

March: 26, 2026

Vahe Davtyan writes: “The state debt per capita in Armenia has reached 4,700 US dollars, compared to 4,200 US dollars last year.

Debt is growing in an economy with an increasingly eroded industrial base and declining demographic dynamics (albeit with immigration touted. I’ll get to that separately).

The main problem is that the debt does not turn into an economic result.

There is no qualitative economic change. There is no increase in productivity. There is no development of value-added industries. You don’t have to go far – open the economic statistics of the last years.

And where does that money go?

Mainly, capital expenditures, the results of which are obvious. asphalt crumbling before our eyes every day, rapidly decaying infrastructures, showy and unviable projects.

This is simply a waste of funds with no return.

As a result, the debt becomes not a development resource, but a political tool to close the budget holes, fulfill the social function of the state, and show short-term “results”.

Yes, the debt-to-GDP ratio still does not cross the red line: 47.3%, under the conditions of the 50% target index.

But this is the surface. Deep down lies the real risk: the burden of debt is shifted onto businesses, households and future taxpayers without a corresponding economic return.

The longer this pattern continues, the more expensive the consequences will be.”

The more Iran is pressured by the West, the more sensitive Ha becomes

March: 26, 2026

The topic of US-Iran negotiations on stopping the war against the Islamic Republic of Iran in the immediate vicinity of the Republic of Armenia remains uncertain. Parallel to Trump’s statements that the USA and Iran are negotiating and there are results, the Western mass media began to write that the USA presented a 15-point proposal to Iran. However, the Iranian media, in turn, published the conditions for ending the conflict, while rejecting the settlement plan proposed by the United States.

Tehran demands a complete cessation of “aggression”, guarantees of non-resumption of war, payment of reparations and cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including resistance forces. International recognition of Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz is also among the conditions.

At the same time, according to “Al Mayadeen” data, Iran has informed Pakistan that it cannot accept the American 15-point program. The document provided for the dismantling of three key nuclear facilities, complete abandonment of uranium enrichment, halting of the missile program, limitation of support to proxy groups and opening of the Strait of Hormuz.

“Iran will end the war when it decides and when its conditions are met,” Press TV quoted a high-ranking source as saying. According to him, the USA conducts negotiations through various channels, but offers conditions that Tehran considers exaggerated and unrealistic.

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US President Donald Trump also wrote in his latest post on Truth Social that the Iranian negotiators are very strange. “They are begging us to come to an agreement, which they should have done because they have been destroyed militarily, but they are publicly saying that they are only considering their proposal. Before it’s too late, they better get serious,” Trump wrote.

And while the parties present ultimatums to each other in the form of proposals, the war continues, the Hormuz Corridor is blocked, US allies in the Persian Gulf and Israel are targeted. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced today that Iran attacked US military bases in Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia during the 82nd wave of retaliatory strikes.

Russian military analyst Alexander Khramchikhin said that Iran’s demands may seem superstitious, but they have a clear logic. In his opinion, Iran is not ready to accept the US ultimatums, the war did not stop Iran from such an imperative.

“Tehran considers the points proposed by the USA as “capitulation”. Without missiles and nuclear levers, Iran feels vulnerable. Iran seeks to maintain the axis of resistance in the region, the economic levers, because the demand for full control over the Strait of Hormuz is Iran’s “playing card” against the global energy market. This is a message that any large-scale war will paralyze the world economy.

The negotiation proposals of the American side are regarded with distrust in Iran and it is unlikely that they will be able to accept this proposal easily after so many developments, when Iran was also able to show resistance, suffering serious losses. Therefore, there will be no easy negotiations, acceptance of proposals, and the US leader, in turn, is trying to show that he is in control of the situation, that the US is negotiating, that everything is going according to its own scenario, but this is not the case.” 168.amthe analyst mentioned in a conversation with

Khramchikhin believes that the increase in tension between Iran and the West is directly projected on the South Caucasus.

“For Iran, the road passing through Armenia is becoming a vital corridor. The more Iran isolates itself or is oppressed by the West, the more sensitive it becomes regarding changes related to Armenia. Tehran is interested in not allowing its connection with Armenia to be cut. Iran’s tough stance also means greater vigilance towards Azerbaijan. Tehran is afraid that Israel can use the territory of Azerbaijan to attack Iran.

This leads to an increase in tension, which, of course, all parties avoid. If Iran gets involved in a big war, an imbalance of power may be created in the region. Turkey and Azerbaijan are getting stronger,” the analyst said, continuing that the created situation means an extremely narrow field of maneuver for Armenia.

“On the one hand, Iran is an important security factor, on the other hand, sanctions against Iran, military operations close one of the main economic arteries, which should be a significant factor in the case of Armenia’s two closed borders,” said Khramchikhin.

What important documents should Nikol Pashinyan declassify?

March: 26, 2026

At the NA-Government question-and-answer session on March 25 and at the briefing with journalists after the Government session on March 26, Nikol Pashinyan once again questioned whether the people of Artsakh would fight or not, called the military-political elite of Artsakh and the generals fugitives and traitors.

First, on March 25, Pashinyan recalled from the podium of the National Assembly how on one occasion, while talking about the generals in the parliament, he called them cowardly traitors.

“Yes, cowardly traitors and fugitive elites should be recognized in this history as those who held the people of Armenia and Karabakh hostage.” continued the one who is satisfied in his political life escapes and had fears, it is also about professional political responsibility to jump is about

It should be noted that on April 12, 2023, Nikol Pashinyan made accusations against the generals during the Government-National Assembly question-and-answer session, and in particular the former commander of the Armed Forces, General To Mikael Arzumanyan: accusing him of “treason” and being a “regular agent”, thereby violating the presumption of innocence.

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Mikael Arzumanyan accused with two episodes of war: the loss of the “Arega” height and giving the order to retreat and not properly organizing the defense of Shushi. In this case, Nikol Pashinyan meant the episode related to the “Arega” hill, and he probably watched the report on Public TV.

The problem is that at the moment, according to the information we have received, during the closed trial, the accusation related to Arega height has completely “collapsed”, and perhaps the accusation of the current authorities regarding Shushi should be approached with reservations, after all, one person cannot be guilty and responsible for losing Shushi.

This is especially when we have not once written the accusation of Mikayel Arzumanyan, so to speak, it ends in 2020. on November 7. While after that, how? we wrote At that time, Nikol Pashinyan instructed Onik Gasparyan, the head of the General Staff of the RA Armed Forces, to start operations to take back Shush, were there necessary resources and conditions for this?

By the way, on one occasion we asked a questionIn what capacity did Pashinyan give the order to retake Shush with a counterattack, or why did he not make the “concession” to settle Shush with Azerbaijanis under Armenian control?

In 2024, again from the podium of the National Assembly to the generals and the military-political leadership of Artsakh was “cowardly” and “desertive”. name

The question is that if the military and political leaders of Artsakh at different times had escaped, they would not be in Baku prison today, especially when they did not hold any position at that moment, and when the blockade was not total, they could have left Artsakh, but they did not want to leave the people of Artsakh alone. There may have been miscalculations, but that’s not what we’re talking about now. On the other hand, Kamo Vardanyan, who was the commander of the Armed Forces in 2023, was admitted to the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia.

Moreover, like Nikol Pashinyan in the parliament last year had announced.

“Half of the leadership of our armed forces today is from Karabakh, at the highest level, our armed forces today, do you understand what I’m saying, our armed forces are led by Karabakh people, if we don’t trust and don’t like the people of Karabakh, how did we get those people to be appointed to those places? If we betrayed, they tell us: you betrayed, you did this, you did that, I have never heard any claim that these people of Karabagh origin entered into any treacherous deal. How are those people working with us, if we are traitors, how are they… They know everything, don’t they? They know everything from the inside, don’t they? How do these people work with us? Who will answer this question? I won’t name names, but I say there is no exaggeration, the entire top of our military pyramid is occupied by Karabakh people at the most key points.”

Are the Karabakh generals, among whom there are those who were related to the 44-day war in their official capacity and after that received a position in the General Staff of the RA Armed Forces, considered “cowardly traitors” or “deserters”? And don’t they really consider Pashinyan a “traitor” who “knows everything from the inside”?

By the way, in this context, let’s return to Mikael Arzumanyan, who was targeted by Pashinyan after the 2020 war, and remind us that after the 2018 power change, taking advantage of his “annoyance” from Bako Sahakyan, he was entrusted with various positions. Years ago we have touched on During the reign of Nikol Pashinyan, Mikael Arzumanyan’s personnel changes.

What’s at the press conference today? to say Nikol Pashinyan, in particular, in connection with the Azerbaijani military aggression in Artsakh on September 19-20, 2023 and whether the people of Artsakh should fight or not.

“After the events of 2023, there was a meeting of the RA Security Council, where the results of the combat operations that took place were analyzed. I, not being able to reveal much, want to record that the claims about fighting and so on are, to put it mildly, untrue, because according to the data of our intelligence and not only intelligence, the lion’s share of the available weapons and ammunition, it could be 80 percent, it could be … percent, remained untouched. Before that, we had created an opportunity for a political process to take place, and some representatives of the ruling circle of Karabakh not only prevented, but also implemented a change of power in Karabakh, they congratulated each other in the RA NA. And from those congratulations just a week later, the events that happened happened.

And those myths: they fought to the end, etc., by the way, if necessary, we will declassify those data. I am sure, this dough will carry a lot of water, we will wait for it to carry well, to publish the documents of the Nagorno Karabakh negotiation process at the right moment, it is a lie, nothing like that happened, they ran away, they looted“, he stated.

This raises several questions. First, what intelligence data are we talking about, when was it obtained, because before the September aggression in Artsakh in 2023, Farhad Mamedov, a political scientist close to Aliyev from Baku, who came to Armenia, was still in the summer of 2023. warned about the action plan and what they will start with: “Azerbaijan intends to achieve the complete disarmament of the Armenians living in Karabakh”, moreover, they did not forget about point 4 of the November 9, 2020 statement signed by Nikol Pashinyan.

Secondly, Aliyev stated that as a result of the operations of September 2023, they destroyed or strategically took 1 billion dollars worth of weapons and ammunition. Was there a proposal from Armenia to transfer them to Armenia on time, and did they not agree in Artsakh? Isn’t it time for Nikol Pashinyan to make public the recording of his conversations with the military-political leadership of Artsakh on this topic, if something like this happened, the former commander of the Defense Forces Kamo Vardanyan can also do it.

Besides this, one question should be asked with clear facts and disclosures պատասխան՝ They were supposed to support the Defense Ministry during the last operations with the plan for the use of armed forces, and it was not carried out?

And before that, let’s remind that as a result of the 44-day war of 2020, Azerbaijan destroyed or took as a strategic weapon 5 billion dollars of Armenian weapons, there were also cases of not removing them from the warehouses, can Nikol Pashinyan, who at that time illegitimately assumed the status of supreme commander, say why this happened? Does he have a favorable answer, facts, or are we dealing with a similar episode of war when in April 2025, in response to our inquiry, the RA Investigative Committee was avoided to say directly that Pashinyan is lying.

We are talking about the episode that Pashinyan once announced that during the 44-day “the squad or unit went and tried to replenish the depleted weapons and ammunitionand a specific person refused to give up a weaponand they had to break open the doors of the ammunition store to arm themselves, and found that store fully stocked with all necessary arms and ammunition.’

And in the context of the military desertion accusation, Nikol Pashinyan would do well to provide clear facts about the episodes of his son’s volunteering during the 44-day period, which are related to the retreat from Alpasha Hill and Tiran Khachatryan. to work back, why not clearly say that, for example, since when or from what day was Ashot Pashinyan in Jrakan, how long did he stay there and participate in combat operations, when did he leave, the same applies to being in Kubatli? Ministry of Defense this information is confidential keep

Will Nikol Pashinyan provide public evidence in response to these questions? By the way, it wouldn’t be bad if the 44-day report was published, the recordings of the speeches and question-and-answer sessions of the military leadership at the famous sessions of the Security Council during the 2020 war, why not also the political leadership, then we would understand who escaped, who is responsible for the defeat in the war, which general is a “traitor”, etc. Why doesn’t Pashinyan do this, if the military leadership and generals are the main responsible?

As for leaving the people of Artsakh hostage, it is enough to remember Pashinyan’s views on the status of Artsakh revolution or evolution, a series of pre-war statements, and the fact that he was afraid to go to the surrender of the territories provided for in the negotiation package, lest they be called a traitor. But this aside. Why was Pashinyan’s government in Artsakh after the 44-day war? implements financing, advertising the “100 Houses in Artsakh” project, the aim of which was to provide housing to Artsakh citizens who were displaced and lost their homes as a result of the war.

The apartments were built near the Dahrav village of Askeran, 16 km from Stepanakert, in the Empty Plain. Personally, we wrote many times about the security risks of this, but at that time Nikol Pashinyan was not interested in what we were warning about.

Of course, Pashinyan can appreciate this as an attempt to keep the people of Artsakh in Artsakh, but the previous authorities did the same thing, didn’t they, which, however, he describes as “holding hostages”, didn’t he do the same when it even followed the 44-day war?

In other words, we are also dealing with a dangerous deception here. This topic can be continued with many other facts, but let’s limit ourselves to this.