REGIONAL SECURITY DYNAMICS: ARMENIA

Authors

  • Tatevik Mkrtchyan Center for Civilization and Cultural Studies ,Yerevan State University
  • Hayk Kocharyan Center for Civilization and Cultural Studies, Yerevan State University

Keywords:

National Security Strategy, Military Doctrine, Armenia, Regional Security, Military security, Nagorno Karabakh, Strategic Defense Review, Network state

Abstract

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the vision of national security in the South Caucasus was mainly dominated by the maintenance of independence and the wars in Nagorno-Karabakh, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia. Shortly following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Armenia was confronted with two blockades on its borders with Azerbaijan and Turkey; another troubling obstacle in addition to its geographically landlocked position. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict defined the external dimension of threats to its national security in its newly independent state amidst the unpredictable regional situation. The external threats and the internal chaotic situation within The Republic of Armenia (RA) called for an elaborated and organized system found in its National Security Document/Strategy. ‘The Development of National Security Strategy’1 was initiated in 1992 and finalized in 2007. Between 2005 and 2007, as a part of a process of deepening cooperation with NATO, the South Caucasian states adopted their respective national security documents. There was a clear lack of experience in developing the National Security Strategy of Armenia. Therefore for the state institutions; collaboration with international stakeholders is of high importance. Reviewing the evolution of Armenia’s National Security Strategy shows that the document was drawn up by the following collaborative interagency commission: the Secretary of the Armenian Defense Ministry, and local and foreign experts. 

Author Biographies

Tatevik Mkrtchyan, Center for Civilization and Cultural Studies ,Yerevan State University

Ms. Tatevik Mkrtchyan is a PhD student and junior researcher at the Centre for Civilization and Cultural Studies at Yerevan State University. In 2011-2014, she was a lecturer of Arabic language at Yerevan Brusov State University of Languages and Social Sciences. Her PhD thesis focuses on Shi‘a religious doctrine and discourse in the Nahj al-Balagha. Her field of specialization is Arabic and Islamic Studies, with her most recent research interests being the Shi‘a religious political governmental system of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Iran’s relations with the South Caucasus.  

Hayk Kocharyan, Center for Civilization and Cultural Studies, Yerevan State University

Dr. Hayk Kocharyan is a Senior Fellow Researcher at the Center for Civilization and Cultural Studies at Yerevan State University, with a focus on security and political developments in the South Caucasus and the Middle East region. Dr. Kocharyan also acts as the Head of Arabic Studies Department of Yerevan State University. Dr. Kocharyan is a regular contributor to the local and regional media and provides expertise on political and security issues in the South Caucasus and the Middle East. Dr. Kocharyan holds a Doctorate Degree in History from the Institute of Oriental Studies at the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, as well as an MA Degree in Arabic Studies from Yerevan State University. Dr. Kocharyan also spent substantial time conducting research at CEU and the Universities of Cairo and Damascus.

References

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Published

2017-09-29

How to Cite

Mkrtchyan, T. ., & Kocharyan, H. . (2017). REGIONAL SECURITY DYNAMICS: ARMENIA. Analytical Bulletin of Armenian and Regional Studies, 2(11), 18–36. Retrieved from https://analytical-bulletin.cccs.am/index.php/ab/article/view/72

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