Expectations are building that a May 7 meeting between Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev could boost the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. But amid much diplomatic maneuvering between Yerevan and Baku, a new, complicating factor has surfaced -- evidence of discord among Armenian leaders in Armenia proper and in Karabakh.
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan's two-day visit to Iran produced a potential breakthrough deal that could ease Armenia's economic isolation.
Sargsyan and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad signed eight agreements during the Armenian leader's two-day stay in Tehran on April 13-14. Two of those pacts stand to give a big boost to Armenian foreign trade.
As the talks on Nagorno-Karabakh remain stalemated, diplomats moderating the negotiations recently called on 40 civil society representatives from Armenia, Azerbaijan and the disputed region to make a difference in the peace process.
As the talks on Nagorno-Karabakh remain stalemated, diplomats moderating the negotiations recently called on 40 civil society representatives from Armenia, Azerbaijan and the disputed region to make a difference in the peace process.
Two days after Armenia's Central Bank let the dram float against the dollar, an uneasy calm has returned to Yerevan after a round of panic buying cleaned many stores out of basic food items.
A $500 million "stabilization" loan from the Kremlin is stoking debate in Armenia about the potential political ramifications of Russian assistance. Armenian leaders, however, are denying reports that Russia has set certain conditions in exchange for the financial assistance.
Plans for ambitious joint infrastructure projects between Armenia and Iran may prove a key first test of President-Elect Barack Obama's policy intentions toward Tehran and Armenia's own economic muscle amidst the global economic crisis. Analysts note that international reactions to the projects could prove a bane or blessing.
