Soil is one of the most important components of the ecosystems on earth. It plays a major role in determining the distribution of natural vegetation, crops, and even human settlements. Healthy and fertile soil contributes to nearly all aspects of human life - from food production to climate regulation. In Armenia, soil erosion might not seem a top priority issue, especially in rural areas where the residents have to cope with socio-economic challenges on a daily basis. However, the maintenance of good soil quality can play a large role in food security and the livelihoods of people as well as the proper functioning of ecosystem services.

Armenian culture has its peculiar presence not only within the borders of the country, but it also left its trace across the globe. Here are several sites of Armenian origin, included in UNESCO Cultural Heritage List from other countries.

The concept of a literary agent is quite innovative for the Armenian reality. The same way, the Armenian contemporary literature is still at its dawn both in the local and international markets. Regional Post met with Arevik Ashkharoyan, the founder and literary agent at “Ari” Literary and Talent Agency who puts her everyday work at the promotion of the contemporary faces in Armenian literature.

Armenia has a lot to offer to the world – both locations and sites, which hold the spirit of the rich heritage, practices and traditions remaining actual and transcending time. From the glorious Kochari dance to the magnificent Upper Azat Valley, Regional Post writes about the symbols of Armenia represented in UNESCO World Heritage Sites List and Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

Lately, contemporary Armenian literature has become a hot topic in media and society. Many of us are still in the process of getting acquainted with the modern faces of the local literature. Regional Post talked with Armen Sargsyan, the chief specialist of Literature in the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Armenia, to find out about the perspective of the state regarding the development of the field.

After an unprecedented tight race and contested vote counting the US has a new president Joe Biden. Without going into details on Biden’s internal and external policies, it is interesting to concentrate instead on the prospects of changes in the new administration’s policies towards Armenia and the region it is located in.

As Russian-backed Assad forces and Turkish-backed opposition forces clash in the northwestern Idlib province of Syria, many question how far this proxy war can go. Some secon-rate politicians started to recall a history of the past two and more centuries dotted with incessant Russian-Turkish wars. Yet many deliberate that with all the possibility of this clash escalating into a serious souring of relations, there is a lot which will keep those two partners together.

Yesterday, after a four-hour trilateral meeting Nikol Pashinyan, Vladimir Putin, and Ilham Aliev came up with a joint statement, however, in a separate speech Pashinyan indicated that the issue of the return of Armenian POWs is not resolved yet.

Athens announced on the 24th of December that the United Nations had published the Greco-Egyptian agreement on the delimitation of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between the two countries; one that Ankara considers “null and void”. Turkey’s Oruc Reis will resume its controversial seismic exploration mission, along with Ataman and Cengizhan vessels, near the shores of the Greek island of Kastellorizo until June 15, 2021. They are considered as Greek-claimed waters of the Eastern Mediterranean. These events are predicted to only further exacerbate Greek-Turkish tensions within the wider region.

Moscow and Ankara signed a document on the establishment of a joint monitoring center in Karabakh.

Sixteen days ago a ceasefire was established in Artsakh following the announcement of Armenia, Russia, and Azerbaijan stating that Aghdam, Lachin, and Karvajar will be transferred under the control of Azerbaijan, as well as the areas that the enemy managed to acquire as the result of the war during the past two months. Russian peacekeepers will be ensuring the further security of Artsakh. Along with these territories, several cultural monuments fell under the control of Azerbaijan. Below are several key monuments and sites that fell under the control of the Azerbaijani forces as the result of the joint announcement of the sides. The list is still being finalized.

Russian Ministry of Defense published map of deployment and observation points at Karabakh