Meeting with the newly appointed EU Special Representative (EUSR) for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia Magdalena Grono on her visit to the region, RSC Director Richard Giragosian briefed her and her staff on 9 January in Yerevan. Giragosian presented an assessment of ongoing diplomatic negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, an analysis of Armenia-Turkey “normalization,” and a deeper look at Armenia’s “diversification” of its foreign policy, examining Armenian relations with Russia, the European Union and the United States.
RSC Director Richard Giragosian provided a detailed assessment of economic trends and geopolitical developments for the Fitch Credit Rating Agency on 8 January 2025. In a video conference call with senior analysts of the London-based Fitch headquarters, Giragosian reviewed the projected downturn in Armenia’s GDP growth, presented the latest trade figures, including contentious developments in the Armenian re-export of gold and diamonds from Russia, and addressed the outlook for stability and risk mitigation, and the country’s overall investment climate.
RSC Director Richard Giragosian was the first guest of 2025 on the weekly analytical program for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s (RFE/RL) Armenian Service (Radio Azatutyun), interviewed by host Hrair Tamrazyan on 5 January 2025. Conducted in English, the interview was dubbed into Armenian, and covered a wide range of issues related to Armenian foreign policy, diplomacy and broader geopolitical developments.
The seventh session of our professional training program was held on 9 December, with a presentation and discussion of the “The Future of Armenian Statehood.” RSC Director Richard Giragosian guided the participants through an in-depth discussion of the key pillars of Armenia’s future: political stability, military security, economics and trade, demographic trends, and the role of the diaspora.
On 29 November, the sixth session of our professional training program was held with an analytical assessment of “governance, decision-making and leadership in Armenia.”