Geopolitical Perspectives of Armenia
On October 3, 2024, the “Ani Plaza” Hotel hosted a discussion on the topic “Geopolitical Perspectives of Armenia,” organized by the Armenian Center for Civic Initiatives “Sparapet”.
Speakers included:
- Garegin Manukyan, President of the Sparapet Center for Civic Initiatives,
- Arthur Martirosyan, international banking specialist,
- Vahram Martirosyan, founder of the ZANGI messenger.
Following the presentations, participants took active part in the discussions on the main theme of the gathering. They also highlighted the importance of establishing a credible, independent and unbiased nationally oriented think tank that will enable national policy makers to come up with timely, pertinent, efficient, and informed decisions rooted in thorough research and analysis.
Excerpts from Presentations
Garegin Manukyan outlined Sparapet’s mission and main areas of focus.
1. “Unfortunately, Armenia lacks a culture of making scientifically based political decisions grounded in thorough research. Thus, one of Sparapet’s objectives is to become an analytical center that provides essential ideas and advice for effective policymaking.
2. Another primary issue is the fragmentation in the Armenian population, specifically between the Armenian public and the diaspora. This is conducive to current governmental attempts to erase pillars of national identity. Sparapet aims to unite governance and public administration experts and specialists from both Armenia and the diaspora. This is critical, as the diaspora has always been Armenia’s main, if not sole, considerable resource since independence. Strengthening the connection between Armenia and the diaspora and combating mutual distrust and despair are among our main goals.”
3. Develop institution building proposals, sets of recommendations, human resource capacity development programmes, and policy advice to support future state building endeavors and effective governance.
4. Unite the healthy segments of society around the platform of credible and experienced experts thus helping combat the widespread spirit of despair and indifference. “We aim to achieve this by identifying specialists in various fields of state-building from different Diaspora communities and involving them in the activities of the Sparapet center. This way, Sparapet will not only gain recognition and trust from society, but will also demonstrate that there are still experienced compatriots who care about the homeland and know how to overcome the current crisis”.
Arthur Martirosyan’s speech covered the following main points:
- The importance of independent and pro-national thinking during the breakdown of global order, especially in the domain of foreign policy and international relations. In times of global uncertainty and the breakdown of established international order, independent and pro-national thinking takes on critical importance. It comprises of adaptive policy-making; strengthening of sovereignty; building resilience through tailored strategies; fostering unity and social cohesion; flexibility to seize new opportunities; and long-term stability. Ultimately, in periods of international disorder, national-centered strategies support self-reliance, foster societal resilience, and maintain control over a nation’s path forward, ensuring that responses are well-suited to the specific needs of the country and its citizens.
- The realist and neo-realist schools of thought are often seen as providing reliable frameworks for analyzing international relations due to their focus on power dynamics, state behavior, and practical assessments of global politics. These theories provide reliable analyses due to their focus on power, historical consistency, and structural insights, making them particularly valuable in understanding the competitive, sometimes conflict-driven nature of international relations. While these schools may overlook cooperative dynamics and internal state factors, their clear focus on state behavior and international structure often yields pragmatic and reliable analyses.
- Analytical tools for negotiation: interest and alternative analysis, scenario creation, and planning. Martirosyan emphasized the need for scenario creation regarding geopolitical and political processes in the region, something Armenian political thought currently lacks due to organizational and resource limitations. He briefly mentioned mistakes from Armenia’s recent past, viewed through the absence of political thought and experience, and the consequences we all witness today.
Vahram Martirosyan discussed ZANGI’s achievements and future perspectives, noting the impact of technological developments in communications on international relations and military conflicts. Using practical examples from the Artsakh War, the Ukrainian conflict, and military conflicts in the Middle East, he illustrated the role and trends of communication systems in these scenarios. Communication has now become a critical strategic resource in politics and warfare, evident in the Ukraine conflict and military actions in Gaza and Lebanon.
Globally, nations are striving to control communication systems, and secure communication is of strategic importance for any country. The discussion engaged former diplomats, ambassadors, politicians, political analysts, cyber- technology specialists, and public figures. Participants not only shared valuable perspectives but also offered recommendations for Sparapet’s future activities and expressed readiness for continued collaboration. They welcomed Sparapet’s initiative to create an independent professional platform for discussion, seeing it as crucial for the needs of contemporary Armenia.