Legal Spirits 070: Religion & Realism: The New US Role in Armenia

About this episode

The episode discusses a controversial draft agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan and its implications for US foreign policy and Christian advocacy in the region.

Map: The Conversation In Episode 70 of Legal Spirits , Center Director Mark Movsesian speaks with Dan Harre, Deputy Director of Save Armenia , about a significant—and controversial—draft agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Brokered last month at the White House, the terms reflect a major realignment in the region: Armenia relinquishes any claim to Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan backs off earlier demands for extraterritorial control, and the United States gains a 99-year lease on a key new transit route. The episode explores how U.S. foreign policy, Christian advocacy, and strategic infrastructure intersect in the South Caucasus. Dan offers a perspective from within the U.S. advocacy world—one shaped by a broader movement to defend Christian communities in places like Iraq and Syria. The episode also considers how groups like Save Armenia navigate diplomatic tensions between Armenia and Israel, and how this moment relates to past decisions about American involvement in Armenian affairs, including the post-WWI mandate the U.S. ultimately declined. What role did American Christian organizations play in this deal? What’s in it for the United States? And is this a turning point in…

People in this episode

Host: Mark Movsesian

Guest: Dan Harre

Topics covered

• Religion
• US foreign policy
• Armenia
• Azerbaijan
• Christian advocacy
• South Caucasus

Keywords

• Nagorno Karabakh
• Save Armenia
• diplomatic tensions
• Christian communities

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Legal Spirits 070, Legal Spirits 070: Religion & Realism: The New US Role in Armenia

Places: US, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh, the United States, U.S., the South Caucasus, Iraq, Syria, Israel

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