Latika Takes: The Podcast

This week Latika Takes: The Podcast is at the Yerevan Dialogue in Yerevan, Armenia.Latika’s guest is Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Robert Abisoghomonyan. Mr Absioghomonyan discusses the transformation in Armenia, a post-Soviet state, that is underway, with a societal push to seek EU membership.This week, Armenia hosted the European Political Community to which Canada’s Mark Carney and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky were also invited, in a show of the EU’s pulling power.Armenia also hosted the EU-Armenia summit aimed at deepening ties between the tiny country and the 27-member bloc, which many countries are trying to join.Latika and Robert discuss how Russia’s failure to come to Armenia’s aid under it’s military alliance obligations when Azerbaijan seized Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023.They also discuss the true viability of EU membership for Armenia, Yerevan’s special relationship with the Iranian regime, and the delicate balancing act the country's government is playing as it heads to elections next month, battling Russian interference.Latika Takes is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.latikambourke.com/subscribe

This week Latika Takes: The Podcast is in Greece at the Delphi Economic Forum. Latika’s guest is Carla Sands, who served as Donald Trump’s Ambassador to Denmark during his first Presidential term.Carla Sands discusses NATO, why Article 5 is no longer considered iron-clad by MAGA and will change post-Trump. Carla Sands also discusses President Trump’s comments disparaging allied war dead in Afghanistan and what Australia can do to be a model ally. Latika Takes is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.latikambourke.com/subscribe