In an article for the Anadolu News Agency, journalist Handan Kazanci cited the RSC in a report from Armenia that examined the role of Azerbaijan in “stalling normalization between Yerevan and Ankara.” Kazanci was a participant in the “Media Bus” project, along with ten fellow journalists and bloggers from Turkey and ten Armenian colleagues. RSC Director Richard Giragosian was cited in the article, based on comments during the group’s visit to the RSC offices in Yerevan, where they met with RSC staff.

In cooperation with the Estonian Center of Eastern Partnership, the Regional Studies Center (RCS) co-sponsored a two-day training seminar on 20-21 October 2014 for Armenian public sector communicators, journalists and the members of the civil society focused on the development of EU-related communications in Armenia.

After a successful first part of a two-phase training course entitled, “Closed Borders, Open Minds,” in Yerevan from 12-19 May 2014, with twenty participants from Armenia and Turkey, the second, follow-up training was held in Istanbul from 13-19 October 2014.

In partnership with the Civic Forum NGO, a recognized leader in the field of youth education and training, the second phase of the RSC youth training focused on the deepening of participants’ knowledge, developing their skills and shaping a more positive opinion and political context of the Armenia-Turkey normalisation process.

A more detailed report of the training is attached.

In a wide ranging interview covering the war in Ukraine and the policies of Russian President Vladimir Putin to the situation in Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process, RSC Senior Analyst David Shahnazaryan offered his analysis in an interview on 18 October in Kiev with prominent journalist Vitaly Portnikov. The interview, which took place in Kiev, was aired on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Ukrainian Service.

www.svoboda.org/content/transcript/26642446.html

audio: www.svoboda.org/audio/26619916.html

In a multi-part interview with the “Aravot” newspaper, RSC Senior Analyst David Shahnazaryan assessed the implications from the Armenian bid to join the Russian-dominated Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). In the interview, entitled, “Membership in Eurasian economic union makes Armenia a captive,” Shahnazaryan pointed out the negative implications of such a move, adding “there is no single economic reason for Armenia’s membership in the Russia-led union. Armenia has no economic border with any of its member states; its accession to the Eurasian Economic Union will entail a greater economic downfall and further worsening of people’s living standards.”