Council of Europe Forum for the Future of Democracy: "European Democracy in the 21st century: Principles and Challenges" Call for applications for the next Forum which will take place in Yerevan, Armenia, from 19 to 20 October 2010 Please note the deadline for receipt of applications is 18 June 2010 Application form | Background note
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OSCE working on a roadmap to support the peace-making efforts in Karabakh
Strengthening co-operation with OSCE parliamentarians is an important component in tackling regional challenges such as protracted conflicts and the European arms control regime, said the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Kazakh Secretary of State and Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev, in Vienna at the start of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Winter Meeting. Earlier this week Saudabayev visited the South Caucasus, where he met leaders in Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia. On the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, he said: "We are working on a Chairmanship roadmap to support and strengthen the peace-building efforts of all sides of the conflict." Public Radio
Genocide resolution will harm normalization with Armenia, Ankara warns
Passage of the Armenian genocide resolution by a U.S. congressional panel early next month would hinder normalization efforts with Armenia, Turkey warned Thursday. Speaking to reporters following a joint press conference with Burkina Faso Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation Bedouma Alain Yoda, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said the issue was taken up in detail during Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioğlu’s meetings in Washington this week. “We are exerting efforts for a comprehensive peace in the Caucasus,” said Davutoğlu, referring to the normalization of ties with Armenia. He warned, however, that attempts such as passing a genocide resolution would harm this objective and called for such initiatives to come to a halt, within reasonable limits. The issue was also discussed during Davutoğlu’s telephone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, according to diplomatic sources who said Washington was informed of the resolution’s potential to harm bilateral relations with the United States, Hurriyet Daily News reports. Public Radio
Iran backs Armenia-Turkey reconciliation
“Iran always backed and will further support any initiative furthering regional stability and peace,” Iranian Ambassador to Armenia Seyed Ali Saghaeyan told the journalists on Feb. 19, commenting on Armenia-Turkey reconciliation.“We always hailed important our neighbors, in this case Armenia to normalize relations with neighboring states. It also refers to improvement of ties with Azerbaijan and we would favour both processes,” said Ambassador. Saghaeyan noted that Iran has good relations with all neighboring states and will spare no effort for Armenia-Turkey border to be open. Commenting on Iran’s repeated statements backing Azerbaijani territorial integrity and asked how the country intends to mediate Karabakh peace process, he replied, "Karabakh conflict has long history and Iran took considerable efforts into the issue of achieving ceasefire. Iran supports solution to the conflict based on parties’ mutual agreement and backs settlement in the frames of OSCE Minsk Group. News.am
RA National Assembly initiates Protocols' discussion
February 19, RA NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations initiates preliminary hearings on Armenia-Turkey Protocols "On the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Turkey and “On Development of Relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Turkey.” News.am
Italian Senate adopts resolution on South Caucasus
Italian Senate has adopted a resolution on South Caucasus. The resolution notes that all of the conflicts in the South Caucasus should be solved based on the principle of territorial integrity and people’s right of self-determination. The document also says that Italy will assist the OSCE and the European Union in settling the Karabakh conflict as well as help developing the Armenian-Azerbaijani contacts. Yerkir
Zaruhy Postanjyan sues chief of Yerevan police
Court of General Jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork-Marash Administrative Districts is scheduled to hear Heritage parliamentarian Zaruhy Postanjyan's claim vs. chief of Yerevan police department, Major-General Nerses Nazaryan at 3:00 p.m. February 19. Zaruhy Postanjyan accuses Nerses Nazaryan of inactivity, stating that the chief of police failed to give due assessment to her reports on crime and did not make decisions on filing criminal cases. In 2009 Heritage party MPs and scores of NGOs staged a number of protests in Yerevan and in other cities of the republic against the Armenian-Turkish Protocols, Madrid Principals and the usurper regime of Armenia. The police attempted a few times to intervene with protest actions attended by Zaruhy Postanjyan and the latter drafted reports on police actions. A1+
Please use calendar box on the right side to select news digest for the day of your interest. Please note that digests below are sorted in cronologic order.
