Baku insists that the time is up for Armenia to return to Azerbaijan bits of occupied land bordering disputed Nagorno Karabakh.
“Armenia has requested two weeks with regard to the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, but several months have gone by and there has been no reaction,” said Azerbaijani presidential spokesman Novruz Mamedov on May 5. Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov said the same the day before, adding that the key mediators -- the US, France, Russia -- have proposed a timeline for the Armenian withdrawal from Lachin and Kelbacar, territory sandwiched between Armenia and Karabakh.
Yerevan has responded angrily, but did not outright deny discussions about the timeline for a potential pullout. “Some destructive people in Azerbaijan . . . are left with no other options than to offer endless lies, sable-rattling and muscle flexing,” said Armenian foreign ministry spokesperson Tigran Balaian.
Oh, the horror! A green, biomorphic mountain of a building may arise in the good city of Yerevan if nobody stops Forrest Fulton Architecture.
The 915,000-square-foot creature is a competition proposal from the Birmingham, Alabama-based firm. Called Lace Hill, the project’s design is meant to pay tribute to Mount Ararat, the Armenian cultural symbol which sits just across the closed border in Turkey.
"Native plants" cover its hill, which breathes through apertures "recalling traditional Armenian lace needlework," and exudes water from some of them. Its bowels contain bars, restaurants, hotels . . . you name it.
Yerevan city planners have not officially expressed interest in the project, but the idea of having on home soil an Ararat-look-alike could prove alluring.
The view from Baku is no less merry. Civil society activists and reporters chastise the government for what they describe as attempts to intimidate independent media.
After tanking by more than 18.2 percent in 2009, the Armenian economy could definitely use some Chinese cash. Hundreds of millions of dollars in life support from international donors have not yet made up for that amputated economic growth.
On the sidelines of the World Expo, where China flaunted its booming economy, Sargsayn signed a cooperation memo with Chinese telecommunication technology giant Huawei Technologies. Sargsyan tried to gauge the interest of Huawei and its rival Zhong Xing Equipment in several projects in Armenia.
International development groups have urged Armenia to diversify its sources of income after revenues from foreign remittances and its once booming construction sector dried up amidst the global financial crisis.
Of all of the accusations that have recently been flying in Baku about the U.S.'s alleged pro-Armenian bias, this is perhaps the silliest:
According to MP Eldar Ibrahimov, the United States is planning to use Armenia for offensive against Iran.
“The United States intends to dislocate its military bases in Armenia”, Public TV channel reports that the due statement was made by chairman of the committee on agrarian policy of Milli Medjlis Eldar Ibrahimov at a meeting with representatives of the Iranian parliament on April 27.
Ibrahimov went on to say that the U.S. approached Azerbaijan for help in launching an attack on Iran, but was rebuffed, and thus turned to Armenia.
It's worth noting that, while his allegations have been widely reported in Azerbaijan, the English-language Iranian media -- which are usually not shy at all about speculating about American aggression against Iran -- seem not to have mentioned this in their reports about the meetings.
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Eldar Mammadyarov has expressed concern about the opening of a direct land connection between Russia and Armenia via Georgia through the Larsi checkpoint. Azerbaijani’s concern is based on the fact that through this connection Moscow could supply Yerevan with military cargo designed for the 102nd Russian military base located in Gumri, Armenia. If Azerbaijan receives information that Armenia is being supplied with arms through this route Baku will immediately react and ask Tbilisi for explanations.
The Russian media reports that Baku is thinking of taking "adequate measures" against Georgia in response to the Upper Larsi checkpoint opening. Energy and investment projects and the issue of Abkhazia and South Ossetia may be affected by these.
For its part, Georgia says “No weapons or ordinance for Russian troops in Armenia will be allowed access” through the border checkpoint. Though, technically, that doesn't preclude allowing weapons for Armenia, that seems pretty unlikely. It seems to me more likely that this is the best pretext Azerbaijan could come up with to object to the opening of the border, whose closure was causing economic problems for Armenia. But maybe I'm missing something here?
Impervious to all threats, except non-binding congressional resolutions
Washington (Reuters) - The aerospace and defense industry is urging House of Representatives lawmakers to reject a measure that would call a World War One-era massacre of Armenians by Turkish forces genocide, warning it could jeopardize U.S. exports to Turkey.
The chief executives of Lockheed Martin Corp, Boeing Co, Raytheon Co, United Technologies Corp and Northrop Grumman Corp issued a rare joint letter, warning that passage of the measure by the House Foreign Affairs Committee could lead to "a rupture in U.S.-Turkey relations" and put American jobs at risk.
"Alienating a significant NATO ally and trading partner would have negative repercussions for U.S. geopolitical interests and efforts to boost both exports and employments," the CEOs warned in a February 26 letter to the committee's Democratic chairman, Representative Howard Berman.
