After almost a year of discussions and declarations about improving Armenian-Turkish relations, some Armenian analysts say that the two countries' "football diplomacy" initiative appears to have stalled. They add that Yerevan's relationship with Ankara appears to be entering a get-tough phase.
After almost a year of discussions and declarations about improving Armenian-Turkish relations, some Armenian analysts say that the two countries' "football diplomacy" initiative appears to have stalled. They add that Yerevan's relationship with Ankara appears to be entering a get-tough phase.
The Millennium Challenge Corporation's recent decision to slash funds for its Armenia program has prompted the Armenian government to seek alternative financing for infrastructure improvements from Iran and Russia.
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili arrived in Armenia touting a "bright future" for bilateral relations. But now that his two-day visit is over, experts say the visit failed to make much headway on two issues that are a source of friction between the states -- relations with Russia and the fate of ethnic Armenians in Georgia.
More than a dozen Armenian opposition activists have now been released from prison under a June 19 amnesty, but little sign exists that Armenia's opposition is content with the outcome.
After heavy lobbying by the international community, a special session of Armenia's National Assembly on June 19 approved President Serzh Sargsyan's request for a prisoner amnesty.
"[T]he amnesty is a long expected and quite justified measure in the . . . [current] political situation," Parliamentary Speaker Hovik Abrahamian commented about the 98-1 vote. Three MPs abstained.
Burglaries have doubled in Armenia, homicides have nearly tripled and illegal weapons trafficking is up by over 43 percent in Armenia so far in 2009. Sociologists see a connection between the crime binge and a new collection of wildly popular TV crime-thrillers.
Armenians appear headed for another round of election-related acrimony following a contentious Yerevan Council Election on May 31. As in recent national elections, official results favored the governing Republican Party of Armenia by a wide margin. Opposition supporters complained bitterly about irregularities, but, as in the past, international observers offered only cautious criticism.
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan's recent announcement that he is prepared to consider a prisoner amnesty has fueled debate about his motivations. Some Armenians believe it is a tactical maneuver designed to influence the outcome of Yerevan's May 31 City Council elections.
