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Armenia + 2 others
The Caucasus: A broken region

Short-term interests continue to impede hopes of a broad transformation of this dysfunctional region.

By Thomas de Waal in London (CRS No. 474, 22-Dec-08)

The Caucasus region is a small and troubled place. It should be a common endeavour for its small and diverse nationalities in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan as well as the Russian North Caucasus to work together to build an integrated region.

Unfortunately, no sense of common purpose is discernible: the sad reality is, that with its tangle of closed borders and ceasefire lines, the Caucasus more resembles a suicide pact.

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Softening hard times in Armenia

Yerevan, Armenia - When international wheat prices started to rise last year, this bread-loving nation knew it was in trouble.

A small landlocked country in the Caucasus, the former Soviet republic imports 60 to 70 percent of its wheat. Things went from bad to worse during the severe 2007-2008 winter, followed by hail and floods in some districts, which reduced the national winter wheat harvest from an average of about three tonnes per hectare to one tonne per hectare, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

The war in neighbouring Georgia also

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Armenia + 1 other
EU pledges support for resolving Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

Report
Xinhua
BRUSSELS, Dec 09, 2008 (Xinhua via COMTEX News Network) -- The European Union (EU) on Tuesday promised to provide support for resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The EU welcomed the Moscow Declaration as a good basis for further progress toward resolving the decades-long issue within the framework of the negotiation process of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)'s Minsk Group.

The EU will do whatever it can to facilitate means to resolve regional conflicts, the bloc's foreign policy chief Javier

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Armenian quake commemorated as consequences linger

by Mariam Harutunian

GYUMRI, Armenia, Dec 7, 2008 (AFP) - Armenians on Sunday marked the 20th anniversary of a devastating earthquake that left 25,000 people dead, as many survivors still waited for new homes after years of promises.

President Serzh Sarkisian and other officials joined the head of Armenia's Apostolic Church, Catholicos Karekin II, for commemorations of the Spitak earthquake held in one of the worst-hit cities, Gyumri.

At 11:41 am (0741 GMT) Armenians across the country observed a moment of silence on the exact time the quake struck 20 years earlier.

Agence France-Presse:

©AFP: The information provided in this product is for personal use only. None of it may be reproduced in any form whatsoever without the express permission of Agence France-Presse.

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Armenia: Quake victims bitter at empty promises

Twenty years after disaster, many in north of country remain homeless.

By Naira Bulghadarian in Vanadzor (CRS No. 471 4-Dec-08)

People made homeless by the Spitak earthquake, which devastated towns and villages across northern Armenia exactly two decades ago, say they no longer believe government promises to clear up the mess.

Some 25,000 people died when the 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck the then-Soviet republic on December 7, 1988, destroying 21 towns and 341 villages. Around 6,000 people are without homes in towns scarred by ruined houses and hastily built shacks.

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Armenia + 2 others
Eastern Partnership: Commission staff working document accompanying the communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
Brussels,
SEC(2008) 2974/3
{COM(2008) 823}

1. POTENTIAL SUBJECTS FOR THE WORK OF EASTERN PARTNERSHIP (EAP) THEMATIC PLATFORMS AND PANELS

For the thematic platform on Democracy, good governance and stability, the Commission proposes:

Democracy and Human Rights

- Exchanges of best practices and dedicated workshops on such issues as electoral standards, regulation of the media, the fight against corruption, transparent management of public goods and civil service reform.

- In cooperation with the Council of

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Armenia + 2 others
Roundtable: Is EU choosing stability over democracy in the South Caucasus?

It's been a rocky year in the South Caucasus. Questionable elections in both Armenia and Azerbaijan ended with bloodshed in one and a dynasty digging in deeper in the other. Georgia, meanwhile, is still reeling from a devastating war with Russia in August. In a season when the region is looking west for guidance, what role has the European Union played through all this?

As part of RFE/RL's "Caucasus Crossroad" program, Russian Service broadcaster Yefim Fistein spoke to Leyla Yunus, the director of the Baku-based Peace and Democracy Institute, David Shahnazaryan

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty:

© RFE/RL, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Azerbaijan + 1 other
Armenia/Azerbaijan: OSCE plans frontline monitoring due to ceasefire breaches

Report
AzerNews
The OSCE mediators brokering a settlement to the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict believe the situation on the Armenia-Azerbaijan frontline remains tense and plan to monitor the area for ceasefire violations.

"The ceasefire violations have become regular during the past few days and necessitates holding an urgent crisis monitoring," Matthew Bryza, the US co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group (MG) said.

Bryza told a Monday news conference in Yerevan, which reviewed the group's visit to the region, that continuing

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Armenia + 1 other
Armenia/Azerbaijan: Hopes and fears after Karabakh declaration

Russian-inspired initiative provokes furious debate on future of Karabakh conflict.

By Sabuhi Mamedli in Baku, Naira Melkumian in Yerevan and Karine Ohanian in Stepanakert (CRS No. 467 06-Nov-08)

An agreement between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia on the Nagorny Karabakh conflict this week has renewed hopes of peace - but also sparked fears amongst Armenians and Azerbaijanis about what this would mean for them.

The November 2 declaration by the presidents of the three countries marked the first occasion that the leaders of the

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Armenia + 1 other
Armenia, Azerbaijan sign joint declaration over Nagorno-Karabakh

MEIENDORF CASTLE, Russia (RFE/RL) -- Azerbaijan and Armenia have called for a peaceful resolution of their long-standing dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave.

The two countries' presidents issued a joint declaration following Russia-mediated talks in Moscow, the first document to be signed by the two countries on the issue in almost 15 years.

In the resolution, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his Armenian counterpart, Serzh Sarkisian, pledged to intensify negotiations to end the dispute.

Nagorno-Karabakh is a predominantly ethnic

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty:

© RFE/RL, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Armenia: Plan 2009 - 2010 (MAAAM002)

Report
IFRC
Executive summary

The Armenian Red Cross has changed in many ways in the past nineteen years that the International Federation has been engaged. Via access to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement's global network it has progressed, developing a number of characteristics that make it a better supporter of vulnerable people, including a country-wide network of regional and community branches; experienced, enthusiastic and committed staff and volunteers; improved infrastructure; and stronger links with governmental agencies, local and international organizations. The

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Armenia + 1 other
Armenia/Azerbaijan: Sarkisian denies asking Turkish mediation in peace talks

Report
AzerNews
Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian has said Yerevan made no proposals to any country to mediate a settlement to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict.

This comes after Turkish President Abdullah Gul said last week Ankara's mediation in Garabagh settlement had been sought by the Armenian leader.

Sarkisian told Armenia's Public TV that the OSCE Minsk Group, co-chaired by Russia, the United States and France, remains the sole mediator in the peace process. "There are no other mediators in negotiations."

With regard to Gul's statement, Sarkisian

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Azerbaijan + 1 other
Azerbaijan open to continuing talks on territorial dispute

Report
Xinhua
Azerbaijan intends to hold talks on its breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, President Ilham Aliyev said Friday, according to Russian news agencies.

"So far we are keen to continue the talks, our hopes have not yet faded away, we still believe that talks might lead to a fair solution," Aliyev said as he was sworn in for a second term in office.

However, he vowed never to give up Nagorno-Karabakh, saying Azerbaijan's army potential had been strengthened in the past five years.

"Azerbaijan's territorial integrity

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Armenia + 1 other
Armenia: Georgian refugees set to return

Many refugees from August war planning to head home, but still traumatised by their experiences.

By Gayane Mkrtchian in Yerevan (CRS No. 465 23-Oct-08)

Twenty-four-year-old Teona Kurtanidze is still living with her three-year-old son Nikolai in a room on the edge of the Armenian capital Yerevan, given them as temporary refuge from the fighting in neighbouring Georgia this summer.

"A few days ago I took Nikolai to Victory Park," she said. "There was a plane there and he climbed on it and said, 'Mama, let's go and bomb Gori!' I said 'Why should you

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Armenia: New agreement to help determine the fate of missing persons

Report
ICRC
Geneva/Yerevan (ICRC) - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons have signed a framework agreement to help clarify what happened to thousands of people who went missing in connection with the Nagorny Karabakh conflict.

The agreement was signed by Seyran Ohanyan, the defence minister and president of the State Commission, and James Reynolds, the head of the ICRC delegation in Armenia.

The Framework Agreement on the Collection and Centralized Management of Ante-Mortem Data on Missing Persons in Relation

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Armenia + 11 others
CrisisWatch No. 62, 01 Oct 2008

Ten actual or potential conflict situations around the world deteriorated in September 2008 and two improved, according to the new issue of the International Crisis Group's monthly bulletin CrisisWatch, released today.

In DR Congo, a January peace deal between the government and rebel groups in the east lay in tatters after serious clashes throughout the month between General Laurent Nkunda's CNDP rebels and the Congolese army. Following a late August resumption in hostilities, the CNDP advanced from ceasefire positions towards Goma; the UN said 100,000

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Georgia + 7 others
On state sovereignty, disarmament matters, world leaders urge solidarity over selectivity, as Assembly continues general debate


GA/10757

Sixty-third General Assembly
Plenary
13th & 14th Meetings (AM & PM)

Questions of national sovereignty, disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation dominated the debate in the General Assembly today, with world leaders calling for solidarity and reform of the Security Council to help diffuse the world's active and simmering conflicts -– in the Caucasus, Middle East and Korean Peninsula –- all of which carried powerful repercussions for neighbouring States and regions.

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Armenia + 1 other
Karabakhis' renewed independence hopes

Local politicians say goal of international recognition should be pursued more strongly in wake of Georgian war

By Karine Ohanian in Stepanakert (CRS No. 459, 11-Sep-08)

The conflict in Georgia and Russia's recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states have fundamentally shaken up the unresolved Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorny Karabakh.

Two of the three mediators in the OSCE body charged with resolving the Nagorny Karabakh conflict, the so-called Minsk Group - consisting of the United States, Russia and France - have

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Armenia + 2 others
Southern Caucasus: Appeal No. MAA69001 Programme Update No. 1

Report
IFRC
This report covers the period 01/01/08 to 30/06/08

In brief

Programme purpose: The programme activities of the southern Caucasus National Societies were aligned with and contributed to the Global Agenda Goals aiming to improve the lives and alleviate suffering of the most vulnerable people through disaster management, health and care, organizational development, and focus on the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement's Fundamental Principles and humanitarian values.

Programme(s) summary: In the first

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Armenia + 2 others
OSCE PA Special Envoy for Georgia travels to the Caucasus

COPENHAGEN, 28 August 2008 - OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA) President Emeritus Goran Lennmarker will next week visit all three countries, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia, in the South Caucasus.

Lennmarker was recently appointed Special Envoy for Georgia by OSCE PA President Joao Soares and he is also engaged in seeking to solve the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenian regarding Nagorno-Karabakh.

Lennmarker, a member of the Swedish parliament, is tasked to work on supporting the conflict settlement process particularly at the parliamentary level.