Russia Archives - Onnik James Krikorian - Journalist, Photojournalist, Consultant

Baku, Yerevan, and Moscow Clash Over Regional Transit

Jan 26, 2024 | Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia

In my first piece for The Jamestown Foundation, I again look at the continuing geopolitical impasse on attempts to restore economic and transport links in the region following the 2020 Armenia-Azerbaijan war as per the trilateral ceasefire statement that ended it. This is a topic that I’ve covered consistently since the beginning of 2021 but it has particularly come to a head now as hopes for a framework agreement between Baku and Yerevan persist.

The importance of reciprocity and interdependence in Armenia-Azerbaijan relations

Oct 10, 2023 | Armenia, Azerbaijan, Central Asia, Russia, Turkey

The idea was to create a win-win situation where Azerbaijan would not only connect to Nakhchivan but Armenia could potentially join the Middle Corridor transportation link from China to Europe via Central Asia and the South Caucasus, ending its semi-isolation and exclusion from regional energy and transportation projects.

Armenia Seeks Security Outside Moscow’s Orbit

Apr 21, 2023 | Armenia, Azerbaijan, European Union, Nagorno Karabakh, Russia

Ten days ago, Transitions magazine published my latest on the European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA). Though the monitoring mission continues to be appreciated and welcomed in the country, there still remain overly high expectations of what is a small presence along a 1,000 kilometre border with no power or ability to deter any armed incidents or skirmishes.

Indeed, on the day of publication, four Armenian and three Azerbaijani soldiers were killed near the village of Tegh.

From St. Petersburg to Tbilisi: The Georgian Punk Scene Experiences a Revival

Mar 27, 2023 | #TbilisiUnderground, Georgia, Music, Russia

The Caspian Post has published my article, accompanied by photographs, on the influx of alternative Russian musicians to Tbilisi following Putin’s further invasion of Ukraine last year. It’s a continuation of my work on the underground rock, metal, and punk scene in all three countries of the South Caucasus since 2001 and especially my personal project, Tbilisi Underground. The punk scene in Georgia, incidentally, has always been unique, but the arrival of often political bands from Russia and beyond has arguably diversified and reinvigorated it.

Karabakh Armenian and Azerbaijan Representatives meet at Russian Peacekeeping Force HQ

Mar 1, 2023 | Armenia, Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh, Russia

Representatives of Azerbaijan and the defacto authorities representing local ethnic Armenians today met under the auspices of the Russian peacekeeping force at its headquarters in Khojali. Such meetings are not new but there are a few major differences.

Expectations, Hopes, and Fears accompany new European Union Mission in Armenia

Feb 1, 2023 | Armenia, Azerbaijan, European Union, Nagorno Karabakh, Russia

The International Crisis Group (ICG) has published a report on the potential role of the new European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA) once it is deployed to patrol the country’s sometimes volatile border with Azerbaijan later this month. The mission, a dedicated deployment, is more on par with the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) in neighbouring Georgia than the temporary and much shorter-term European Union Monitoring Capacity (EUMCAP) that ended on 19 December last year.

Lachin Corridor standoff enters fourth week

Jan 2, 2023 | Armenia, Azerbaijan, Lachin Corridor, Nagorno Karabakh, Russia

The 25 December rally in Stepanakert, the defacto capital of what remains of the Soviet-era Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO), was large. An estimated 30-35,000 ethnic Armenian residents of the breakaway region gathered in the city’s Renaissance Square in an act of defiance in response to Azerbaijani “eco—activists” picketing the Lachin corridor.  

Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace in Sight or a Battle of the Peace Proposals?

Oct 12, 2022 | Armenia, Azerbaijan, European Union, Nagorno Karabakh, Russia, Turkey

Depending on who you ask, Armenia and Azerbaijan are either moving closer towards signing a long overdue peace deal or Yerevan is under duress from Baku to capitulate further following its defeat in 2020. Both can be true, of course, but the reality is that there is only a limited window of opportunity available to reach such a negotiated settlement. Following the recent fighting on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, it seems the international community understands that only too well.

Civilnet Interviews Arman Grigoryan on Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Nagorno Karabakh

Jul 26, 2022 | Armenia, Azerbaijan, European Union, Nagorno Karabakh, Russia

On 25th July, the Yerevan-based online news site Civilnet uploaded an interview with Armenian Political Scientist and LeHigh University Professor Arman Grigoryan. Below is a summary of what Grigoryan said and a rough translation. The full interview in Russian is embedded at the bottom of this post. 

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