Security Summit: Rethinking Armenia's Geopolitical and Defense Trajectory

Rethinking Armenia’s Geopolitical and Defense Trajectory, organized by the newly established Institute for Security Analysis (ISA), will feature a series of both public and closed-door discussions around national security and state building on Tuesday, November 28 and Wednesday, November 29. Panelists will include personalities from a diverse range of disciplines and backgrounds. The summit will also be accompanied by capacity building workshops, advocacy efforts and stakeholder engagement.

The conference will be held at the Tufenkian Historic Yerevan Hotel and on Zoom. To register for in-person attendance, visit https://bit.ly/Security-Summit-In-Person. For profiles of the speakers or to register for Zoom attendance, visit https://bit.ly/Security-Summit-On-Zoom. There is a $40 fee for Zoom attendance.

The Security Summit starts at 4 p.m. EVN (7 a.m. Eastern Time). Zoom attendees will have the opportunity to view a recording of the conference for one week. The conference will predominately be held in English. Simultaneous translation will be available from English to Armenian and Armenian to English.

The Security Summit is sponsored by the Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA), Armenian Network of America—Greater New York, Justice Armenia, Knights of Vartan Bakradouny Lodge, and National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR).

“Critical security challenges — the 2020 Artsakh War, Azerbaijan’s 2022 assault on Syunik and Vayotz Dzor provinces, and the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh’s indigenous Armenian population — have exposed the limitations of Armenia’s security strategies and highlighted an urgent need for fundamental modernization and institutional innovation,” ISA Senior Research Fellow Dr. Eduard Abrahamyan said.

The Security Summit aims to address these pressing issues head-on. Dr. Abrahamyan noted, “Our goal is to create a dynamic platform where fresh, often unconventional ideas can be exchanged, thereby encouraging collaboration among defense specialists and fostering public engagement across national security discourse.”

In the face of escalating regional threats and shifting power configurations, the Security Summit is committed to catalyzing grassroots and society-wide support dedicated to safeguarding Armenia’s sovereignty and rapidly enhancing defense and security reforms. By bringing together policy experts, defense specialists, statesmen and active citizens, the summit aims to clarify — and actualize — smart and alternative options for extracting Armenia from its current crisis.

The Security Summit will present seven panels that will examine Security and Geopolitics; Politics; and Next Steps and Policy Solutions.

Armenia’s Road to 2020: Nurturing Failure, Azerbaijan’s Aggression, and Russia’s Role
The Emerging Geopolitical Order in the Caucasus: The Rise — and Threat — of Eurasianism
Hybrid War: Disrupting Security, Society and Politics
Strategic Disaster: The Dangers of Appeasement
Salvaging Statehood: A Crisis Roadmap for the Armenian Republic
Next Steps: A Legal Strategy for Artsakh
Shaping a Reform Agenda: A Whole-of-Society Approach to Territorial Defense

Panelists include:

Dr. Eduard Abrahamyan, Institute for Security Analysis;
Hratchya Arzumanyan, National Security Expert;
Dr. Stepan Astourian, Turpanjian Center for Policy Analysis at the American University of Armenia;
Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Glen Grant, National Security Expert;
Talin Hitik, Legal Expert with Hitik Law;
Colonel Vladimir Milenski, Ministry of Defense of Bulgaria; and
Dr. Thomas Young, Defense Security Cooperation University and Naval Postgraduate School.

Dr. Abrahamyan encouraged Diasporans and Yerevan residents to join the Security Summit. “By forging innovative solutions and strategies, we hope to empower Armenia to navigate and overcome its security challenges and ensure a secure and resilient future,” he said.

Registration is required. For in-person and Zoom attendance, visit https://bit.ly/Security-Summit-In-Person and https://bit.ly/Security-Summit-On-Zoom, respectively. For questions, contact Alvard Zakaryan at alvard@securityandnalysis.net or +37495202148.