Yerevan State University welcomed the successful REDEMOS Stakeholders Conference!

On May 13th, 2024, REDEMOS successfully hosted a pivotal Public Stakeholders Conference at Yerevan State University (YSU), bringing together experts and key figures to reflect on the state of EU democracy support in its eastern neighbourhood, with a special focus on Armenia’s democratic transition and the challenges posed by authoritarian threats and regional risks.

Welcome Addresses

The conference commenced with welcoming remarks from:

  • Hovhannes Hovhannisyan, Assoc.Professor, Rector, YSU, Yerevan
  • Arusyak Aleksanyan, Assoc.Professor, Centre for European Studies, YSU, Yerevan
  • Tobias Schumacher, Professor & Deputy Coordinator, REDEMOS, NTNU, Trondheim & College of Europe, Natolin

Keynote Speech

H.E. Amb. Vassilis Maragos, Head of EU Delegation to Armenia, Yerevan, addressed the conference with a keynote speech that focused on EU-Armenian cooperation, democracy, citizens, and EU values and emphasised that democracy lies at the heart of EU engagement in Armenia.

Panel I: ‘Taking stock of two decades of EU democracy support towards its eastern neighbourhood: progress and challenges’

Arusyak Aleksanyan, Assoc.Professor, Centre for European Studies, YSU, Yerevan, moderated the first panel of experts composed of:

  • H.E. Amb. Paruyr Hovhannisyan, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, Yerevan
  • Tina Freyburg, Professor, Chair of Comparative Politics, University of St. Gallen
  • Lousineh Hakobyan, President, Europe in Law & Co-Chair, EU-Armenia Civil Society Platform, Yerevan
  • Michael M. Richter, Post-doctoral fellow & REDEMOS Researcher, University of Surrey
  • Grigor Yeritsyan, CEO, Armenian Progressive Youth, Yerevan

Panel II: ‘What’s next for Armenia? Democratic transition, authoritarian threats, and regional risks’

Tobias Schumacher, Professor & Deputy Coordinator, REDEMOS, NTNU, Trondheim & College of Europe, Natolin, moderated the second panel of experts composed of:

  • H.E. Amb. Patrik Svensson, Ambassador of Sweden to Armenia, Yerevan
  • Alexander Markarov, Professor & Vice-Rector for Scientific Policy and International Cooperation, YSU, Yerevan
  • Natia Natsvlishvili, Permanent Representative of the UNDP to Armenia, Yerevan
  • Sona Ghazaryan, MP, Standing Committee on European Integration, National Assembly, Yerevan
  • Nino Lomjaria, former Ombudsman of Georgia & Member of the REDEMOS International Advisory Board, Tbilisi

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the speakers, moderators, and participants who made this conference a success. Special thanks to Yerevan State University for hosting the event and to our distinguished guests for their invaluable contributions. Your commitment and expertise are vital in advancing democracy and fostering collaborative efforts in the region.

We look forward to continuing these important conversations and working together towards a democratic future!

  • This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation
    programme under grant agreement No 101061738. The Associated Partner University of Surrey has received
    funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under the UK government’s Horizon Europe funding guarantee
    under grant number 10040721. The Associated Partner University of St. Gallen has received funding from the Swiss
    State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation(SERI). Views and opinions expressed are however those
    of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union, UKRI and SERI.

    Neither the European Union nor UKRI or SERI can be held responsible for them.