The cities of Yerevan and Dilijan in the Republic of Armenia hosted the "Vorotan" international expert forum to exchange the views on the problems of the region. The event was supported by the A.M. Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Foundation. Ekaterina Rumyantseva, a master's student of Baikal State University, majoring in International Relations, was competitively selected to participate in the forum.

However, on the eve of the forum organizers announced the cancellation of the forum due to the difficult situation in Armenia in connection with the events in Nagorno-Karabakh. Nevertheless, Ekaterina Rumyantseva, who has been studying the South Caucasus for a number of years, visited Yerevan to conduct field research and collect the necessary material for further scientific work.

As a result of the trip, she was able to independently assess the situation in the capital of Armenia, monitor the extent to which what is happening coincides with the data presented in the media, collect data on the protest movement in Armenia and the amount of humanitarian aid. As Ekaterina notes, the trip turned out to be extremely useful and productive, as it is always interesting to visit a state that is the object of your scientific interests.

"When a state is going through such an important political stage, it is always significant to be in the epicenter of events," says Ekaterina.