Tigran Yepremyan, ASC Researcher
Extended European Security Complex and the South Caucasus: the US Policy Approaches, The Review of European Affairs, Volume 5, Issue (2). Warsaw: PECSA, 2021, pp. 5-17.
Abstract
This paper analyses the US’s strategic interests and policy approaches towards the South Caucasus vis-a-vis competing geopolitical paradigms. It concerns the security challenges for the region, which arise from contradictions between integration, disintegration, and sovereignty in the shared neighborhood of the European Union (EU) and Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). The geopolitical, geo-economic and security interests of the United States, Russia, the European Union, Turkey, and Iran are all engaged in the South Caucasus, here is where their security interests intersect. The paper utilizes the Regional Security Complex Theory. From this perspective, the strategic fulcrum of regional security lies in the regions and powers. Therefore, the South Caucasus has an ever-increasing importance for the US interests both as a gateway to Eurasia and as the eastern edge of Europe. Thus, within the context of the largest competing alternatives of the geopolitics and geo-economics of the EU, the Russia-led EAEU, China’s Belt and Road and India’s North-South Corridor – the South Caucasus, an integral of European super-complex, appears as an insulator and corridor between the West and the East, the North and the South. Hence, the US policies have been aimed at making the South Caucasus an eastern extension of the enlarged European regional security complex.
Benyamin Poghosyan, ASC Researcher
Thirty Years of Interaction: The US Policy in the South Caucasus after the End of the Cold War.
U.S.& Canada: Economics, Politics, Culture, 2022, Issue N 1, pp.67-87 (США & Канада: экономика, политика, культура. 2021; 52 (1): 67-87. DOI: 10.31857/S2686673022010059)
Abstract
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United States has been actively involved in the geopolitics in the post-Soviet space. The US presence was felt everywhere – the European part of the former Soviet Union, Central Asian republics, and the South Caucasus. The latter sub-region finds itself in a strategically important crossroad, connecting Europe with Central Asia and the Middle East and bordering Russia, Turkey, and Iran. The US policy in the region was a part of its broader policy in the former Soviet Union, which corresponded to the US grand strategy after the end of the Cold War.
To better understand the US policy in the region after the end of the Cold War, we need to explore the US grand strategy during that period. Since the end of the Cold War and with onset of the “unipolar moment” marked by uncontested US hegemony, the US has pursued the strategy of “liberal hegemony” with the core goal to promote democracy in different parts of the world, including South Caucasus and the former Soviet Union in general. The US interests in the region also include establishing the network of oil and gas pipelines to supply the European markets with Caspian energy resources, circumventing Russia. The US supported the reforms agenda embraced by the post-Soviet states and simultaneously made significant efforts to create a strong community of civil society organizations, viewing them as a tool for creating a new generation of pro-Western elites.
Another aspect of the US regional strategy was to build up the resilience of the newly independent states to make them, as the Americans called it, less vulnerable to Russian pressure. The “liberal hegemony” strategy resulted in the US unequivocal support to the so-called “Rose Revolution” in Georgia and the country’s foreign policy aimed at integration with the European Union, which included the signing of the Association Agreement with the EU in 2014. The US allocated significant resources to help launch the Baku – Tbilisi – Ceyhan oil pipeline, and the Baku – Tbilisi – Erzurum gas pipeline, as well as to support the “Southern gas corridor” project.
The 2008 global financial crisis marked the beginning of the end of the “unipolar moment” and the rise of the new, multipolar world order. This transformation coincided with the rise of China and affected the US foreign policy. The US started to shift its focus to the Asia–Pacific region, while the 2014 Ukraine events brought Russia – US relations to their lowest point since the end of the Cold War.
Levon Hovsepyan, ASC Researcher
The Influence of Turkish Domestic Transformations on Turkish-U.S. Relations: Ideology, Identity, Military. The article is accepted for publication in Comparative Strategy, Taylor & Francis, December 2022.
Abstract
Turkish-US relations in the last decade have been marked by tensions, crises and mutual distrust, which is unprecedented in the framework of bilateral relations. Besides international systemic variables, domestic ones are also crucial in Turkey’s current foreign policy. Therefore, in order to fully consider the ongoing transformations in the field of foreign policy and for a more comprehensive coverage of the existing tensions in Turkish-American relations, their grounds, it is necessary to explore domestic variables. In this case, we explore the impact of Turkish unit-level variables – ideological-identity and military
transformations and their impact on Turkish-US relations.
Levon Hovsepyan is a research fellow at the American Studies Center of Yerevan State University, Armenia. He also serves as a leading research fellow at the Institute of Oriental studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia. He earned his PhD degree at the
Institute of Oriental Studies at the National Academy of Sciences. His research and teaching interests include Turkish foreign policy, domestic transformations, security and defense strategies.
Yuliana Melkumyan, ASC Researcher
Evolution of the “American Dream” as a Value System and its Representation in Hollywood Movies, Journal of Sociology, Bulletin of Yerevan University, VOL. 14 NO. 1 (37) (2023).
Abstract
The “American dream” is a value system, which is the locomotive of the development of American society. It is one of the core elements of the American identity. The idea of the “American dream” presents the terminal values of equality, liberty, prosperity and happiness. Hard work, sacrifice, courage in the face of taking risks, diligence and the act of overcoming hardships are presented as instrumental values, which are required to achieve the terminal values mentioned above. The concept of the “American Dream” has evolved with the passage of time and faced different challenges, which resulted in a number of contradictions between the dream and the social reality. Hollywood movies are used as one of the tools to propagate the “American Dream” both inside of the United States and abroad. This article examines the representation of the terminal and instrumental values of the “American Dream” in Hollywood films (2018-2021) with anti-racist content, as well as films about family, the American Armed Forces, the US president, and the rule of law, through visual, verbal and audio means. Nevertheless, while the films communicate the same terminal and instrumental values, they also occasionally show the existing contradictions. Hard work does not always lead to achieving the “American dream”. Even though the fight for equality is going strong, inequality still exists. Along with the rule of law, there are also manifestations of corruption. At the same time, the USA continues to be presented as a safe, powerful and wealthy country.
Gegham Petrosyan, ASC Researcher
The First Negotiations of the Delegation of the Republic of Armenia in Constantinople (June of 1918), Bulletin of Yerevan University: International Relations and Political Science, Vol. 13 No. 3 (39) (2022).
Abstract
The makes a detailed focus on the complex and difficult diplomatic, strategic and tactical activities of the Armenian delegations to Constantinople and Berlin. Particular attention has been paid to the fact that the Armenian diplomats were making attempts to find a solution to the Armenian Question in the complex and difficult realities of geopolitical, economic and diplomatic contradictions and conflicts of interest between the states of the Central Powers, in particular Ottoman Turkey and German Empire. Particular attention has been also paid to the first talks of the Armenian delegation (chairman Av. Aharonyan) in Constantinople with the Grand Vizier of the Council of Ministers of Ottoman Turkey Taleat and Minister of War Enver Pasha. The article analyzes geopolitical factors, under the influence of which the first diplomatic visit of the Armenian delegation and negotiations with the Minister of War of Ottoman Turkey Enver Pasha were held. Particular attention has been paid to the fact that during the ongoing Armenian-Turkish diplomatic negotiations in Constantinople, the Ottoman Empire diligently continued discussions on creating a military-political union with the Republic of Armenia. In this regard, in July of 1918, German Empire demanded from its ally Ottoman Turkey to stop negotiations on the formation of this union on the following grounds. The Ottoman Empire cannot sign pacts and agreements separately with other countries without the mutual consent of the four allied states.
Benyamin Poghosyan, ASC Researcher
Transformation of the Post-Cold War Order and the Global and Regional Powers Policy in the South Caucasus after the 2020 Karabakh War, 2023; США & Канада: экономика, политика, культура / USA & Canada: economics, politics, culture.
Benyamin Poghosyan, ASC Researcher
US Policy in The South Caucasus Prior to and after The 2020 Karabakh War in the Context of the Evolving Regional And International Geopolitics.
Abstract
The article analyzes the main directions of US foreign policy in the South Caucasus before and after the Artsakh war in 2020, taking into account new regional and geopolitical challenges. It is shown that the United States considers the policy in the South Caucasus in the context of Russian-American relations. In recent years, the South Caucasus has not been included in the US foreign policy priorities, yielding to both the Asia-Pacific region and Ukraine. Under US President Trump, the three main US goals in the region were to include the South Caucasus in a policy of maximum pressure on Iran, launch the Southern Gas Corridor, and contain Russia. The US took a rather passive position during the 2020 Artsakh war, limiting itself only to calls for a cessation of hostilities and the organization of a meeting between the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Washington. As a result of the study, it was substantiated that after the end of the Artsakh war, the main goal of the US was to eliminate the Russian monopoly in the process of resolving the conflict. After the outbreak of the war in Ukraine on February 24, 2022 and the complete breakdown of Russian-American relations, the weakening of Russia’s position in the South Caucasus became the cornerstone of US regional policy.
Mushegh Ghahriyan, ASC Researcher
The U.S. Policy in the Middle East. How the System Determined the Behavior, SCIENTIA #3, 2022.
Abstract
The paper discusses US policy in the Middle East since 2010–2011, which includes the periods of the presidencies of Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and the incumbent, Joe Biden. The region has been undergoing substantial and rapid transformations in the last decade, which have reshuffled the regional security system and the balance of power. The study employs Neorealism theory and system-level analysis to describe and explain US policy in the region. It focuses on several issues, including the relations with Iran, the Kurdish issue, the war in Syria, and the relations with the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, particularly Saudi Arabia, to reveal certain patterns of US policy. The conclusion is that Washington’s behavior in the Middle East is strongly affected by the nature and transformations of the regional subsystem. This approach explains why US policy in the Middle East has become more situational and reactive.
Irina Burnazyan, ASC Researcher
Integrating Elements of American Culture in ESP Classes, Foreign Languages in Higher Education, Vol.26, N2(33), 2022.
Abstract
The present paper reflects on the importance of cultural awareness in ESP classes and suggests incorporating some cultural elements of American studies into the course of teaching English. To explore the depth of the student’s familiarity with the culture of the target language, a survey was conducted among the students of different departments at Yerevan State University. The paper also suggests introducing a series of classes on American culture, which will complement the core ESP class and give the learners an opportunity to enrich their knowledge of the culture of a country that has the largest English-speaking population.
Nora Gevorgyan, ASC Researcher
Peculiarities of the Armenian Diaspora in the United States: Formation, Development and Role in Armenian-American Relations, Romanian Review of Political Sciences and International Relations, Vol. XX, N1, 2023.
Abstract
The Armenian diaspora was an essential factor in the overall process of forming the Republic of Armenia. The Armenian-American community is one of the most effective communities of the Armenian diaspora in terms of promoting Armenia’s interests in international politics. It also plays a prominent role in the development of relations between the US and Armenia. The paper examines the main factors that influence the= characteristics of the Armenian-American diaspora community, as well as its role and significance in Armenian-American relations. The analysis will focus specifically on the origins of the Armenian-American diaspora, briefly introducing the history and main waves of Armenian migration and formation of the Armenian diaspora in the United States, the institutions of the community that seek to homogenize Armenian identity, the main lobbying agendas and mechanisms of influence on American foreign policy, and the role of the community in the development of Armenian-American relations.
Robert Khachatryan, ASC Researcher
Leveraging Stakeholder Engagement for Enhanced Higher Education Competitiveness in Armenia, Education in the 21st Century, N1, 2023.
Abstract
Armenia is facing the challenge of ensuring the competitiveness of its higher education institutions (HEIs) in the rapidly evolving global landscape of higher education. With the rising demands for competitive human capital and the development of knowledge- based economies, the HEIs of the Republic of Armenia (RA) need to be agile and strategic in their decision-making processes and in employing respective mechanisms to meet the demands of the market and global landscape of higher education. In this context, stakeholder engagement should emerge as a powerful tool for driving competitiveness through ethical and efficient decision making in higher education strategic management in Armenia, for it ensures the increase of stakeholders’ interest, fiduciary responsibilities, and commitment towards HEIs.
Tigran Sargsyan, ASC Researcher
Regional Characteristics, Principles and Perspectives of European External Energy Security, Proceedings of the Yerevan State University: Geology and Geography, 57(1-2), 2023.
Abstract
In terms of content and direction perspectives, the paper is related to regional energy studies, which are interdisciplinary in nature, including geographical, geopolitical, economic, environmental and other directions. In the theoretical part, the main substantive issues and features of regional energy studies, their role and significance in the context of energy security and energy policy were presented. Based on statistical data analysis, the current state of external energy supply, problems, regional trends and features of European (including both EU and non-EU members) were presented and summarized. Taking into account the geopolitical aspects of ensuring Europe’s energy security, the main directions of the U.S. and Russian involvement in this field and their regional features were also discussed. Special attention was paid to the spatial expansion of energy imports from foreign markets and continuous regional energy cooperation.
Yuliana Melkumyan, ASC Researcher
THE “AMERICAN DREAM” PROPAGANDA IN HOLLYWOOD MOVIES, №94/2022 Norwegian Journal of development of the International Science
Vahe Davtyan, ASC Researcher
THE U.S. ENERGY DIPLOMACY IN THE CONDITION OF WORLD ENERGY MARKETS TRANSFORMATION (SOUTH CAUCASUS VECTOR),Vectors of Social Sciences, 2022, N4.
Abstract
The article considers the key aspects of the US external energy diplomacy in the context of the transformation of the global energy market at the present stage. The features of American energy strategy are revealed. The main strategic documents of the U.S., affecting the problems of energy security and energy strategy, are studied. The features of the concepts of “energy dominance” (Trump) and “energy independence” (Nixon) are presented from the point of view of their implementation in the context of modern political and economic challenges. The structure of the U.S. energy balance is
considered, which made it possible to determine the level of dependence on external supplies of hydrocarbon raw materials, especially oil. The priorities of the U.S. in the hydrocarbon market (both natural gas and oil) and renewable energy are studied through the prism of the climate agenda (in particular, the 2015 Paris climate agreement). Special attention is paid to the issues of liquefied natural gas (LNG) export from the U.S., especially towards European markets. The key risks and challenges of US energy diplomacy in the context of the conflict in Ukraine as well as geopolitical confrontation with Russia are identified. The US energy strategy in the South Caucasus is considered. The main features of the U.S. energy cooperation with Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan in the context of geopolitical challenges are revealed.
Ruben Elamiryan, ASC Researcher
UNITED STATES, STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENT IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS, AND ARMENIA: A SIGHT TOWARDS THE FUTURE, Vol.1, N3, 2022 (December).
L.Hovsepyan, ASC Researcher
The influence of Turkish domestic transformations on Turkish–U.S. relations: Ideology, identity, military, COMPARATIVE STRATEGY, Vol.41, 2022, Taylor & Francis, UK
Abstract
Turkish-US relations in the last decade have been marked by tensions, crises and mutual distrust, which is unprecedented in the framework of bilateral relations. Besides international systemic variables, domestic ones are also crucial in Turkey’s current foreign policy. Therefore, in order to fully consider the ongoing transformations in the field of foreign policy and for a more comprehensive coverage of the existing tensions in Turkish-American relations, their grounds, it is necessary to explore domestic variables. In this case, we explore the impact of Turkish unit-level variables – ideological-identity and military transformations and their impact on Turkish-US relations.
Elina Asriyan, ASC Researcher
Comparative Analysis of the U.S. and Armenian Veteran Mental Health Services, (Q1) WISDOM,Vol. 23 No. 3 (2022): 3-2022.
Abstract
This article aims to present the analysis of systematic approaches to the treatment of PTSD and war-related mental health issues adopted in Armenia and to illuminate possible differences and similarities between the latter and the best practices implemented in the USA.
The analysis of the aforementioned mental health systems has been carried out based on three main axes: general treatment management, diagnosis and treatment planning, treatment and subsequent follow-up.
As a result, we have concluded that despite the absence of a regulatory framework of the Armenian mental health system and the lack of a well-thought-out organization of patient admission, therapy and follow-up procedure, the model in place has more similarities than differences with the U.S. system. In particular, the therapeutic modalities, the format of psychotherapy, and the clinical supervision of specialists implemented in the psychological centres across Armenia are in line with U.S. standards. Nevertheless, as the psychological assistance delivered to veterans is not regulated on a national level and as there is currently a significant lack of institutional and professional resources, the improvement of the efficiency and the quality of mental health services in Armenia remains an important challenge.
Elina Asriyan, ASC Researcher
STUDY OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF WAR VETERANS, MODERN PSYCHOLOGY SCIENTIFIC BULLETIN, N1, 2022.
Abstract
In recent years the world has witnessed many armed conflicts, such as the war in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), the war in Ukraine and others. Along with the physical destruction of infrastructures, human casualties and other obvious consequences, the consequences of war include long-term psychological harm to the people directly or indirectly involved in the armed conflicts, and even to their family members. This article summarizes the results of a psychological study conducted among servicemen who participated in the second Artsakh War (2020). In particular, the degree of expression and combination of PTSD, symptoms of anxiety and depression were revealed. The research was conducted with 300 servicemen approximately 6 months after the end of the war. The obtained results allow us to conclude that a considerable majority of the servicemen had a pronounced degree of the above clinical manifestations, which is connected with a simultaneous effect of different factors. Another important practical conclusion is that the overwhelming majority of the conscripts had a clinical degree of anxiety, depression, or a combination thereof, which unequivocally points to their need for psychological support. It is also indicative that a high level of anxiety and depression is more typical for the group of non-injured soldiers, which might suggest that physical trauma alone is not a sufficient factor for psychological problems, and the absence of a combat wound cannot insure against psychological traumatization. The results point to the necessity of PTSD-oriented psychological assistance to servicemen with the obligatory involvement of non-injured persons.
Tigran Sargsyan, ASC Researcher
Energy security in the context of U.S. external energy policy”. To be published in “Geographical Journal” of Polish Geographical Society.
Journal of Yerevan University: International Relations and Political Science: Vol. 1 (2022): SPECIAL ISSUE: AMERICAN STUDIES
https://journals.ysu.am/index.php/bulletin-ysu-int-rel-pol/issue/view/sp1_2022
- Vahe Davtyan, Silva Khachikyan, The U.S. Energy Diplomacy Challenges in the Condition of World Energy Markets Transformation (South Caucasus Vector).
- Tigran Sargsyan, European energy security in the context of U.S. External Energy Policy.
- Benyamin Poghosyan, The Southern Gas corridor and the US policy in the South Caucasus.
- Tigran Yepremyan, United States-Iran Relations: Security Implications For Armenia And Beyond.
- Levon Hovsepyan, The Impact of Turkey’s domestic social-political factors on Turkish-US relations: Feeding Conspiracy and anti-Americanism.
- Nora Gevorgyan, The Influence of Ethnic Interest Groups on U.S. Foreign Policy: The Case of Armenian Diaspora.
- Vahagn Aglyan, The Major Trends in Armenia’s Foreign Policy- Making and the Macro-Regional Priorities of Russia and the United States: 2018-2020.