Karabakh issue continues to dominate Armenia’s internal political agenda. Azerbaijani authorities turned provocations into tradition, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Shavarsh Kocharyan stated, referring to recent incident on the line of contact of NKR and Azeri armed forces. “Diversions aim at frustrating the mediators’ efforts toward maintaining ceasefire, withdrawal of snipers from the line of contact as well as promotion of conflict settlement negotiations,” he said. Kocharyan called on international community to give adequate assessment to Azerbaijan’s provocative actions, aimed at undermining the peace process.

Karabakh issue dominated the internatal political agenda during the past week.

The past week’s debates focused on the protocol envisaging extension of the terms of Russian military base deployment in Armenia.

The internal political events during the past week focused on the forthcoming visit of Russian President and informal summit of CIS leaders. The oncoming visit of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to Armenia suggests positive development of Armenian-Russian cooperation, stated Eduard Sharmazanov, secretary of the Republican Party of Armenia.

Political events focused on Russia’s policy on the South Caucasus and the forthcoming visit of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to Armenia.

Hague court verdict on Kosovo independence is a moral and juridical assessment of the situation which may have an influence on Karabakh conflict settlement, according to Orinats Yerkir deputy chairman Mher Shahgeldyan. As he told July 24 news conference in Yerevan, Kosovo precedent consolidates juridical and diplomatic position of Armenian side in peace talks for Karabakh conflict settlement. “The ICJ ruling is legitimate and acceptable to international community. Kosovo verdict gives de jure confirmation of de facto situation with Karabakh, as well as other conflict zones.”

The political week in Armenia started with congresses of the Armenian National Movement and Armenakan Ramkavar-Azatakan party. On July 17, Yerevan hosted the 16th congress of the Armenian National Movement. In his remarks, Armenia's first President Levon Ter-Petrosyan said that Armenia’s economic development is impossible without resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and normalization of relations with Turkey. Ter-Petrosyan also voiced confidence that the key to Armenian-Turkish reconciliation is in Russia’s hands.

The political week in Armenia started with the 6th congress of Heritage party, which brought together over 400 delegates, including Arthur Ghazaryan from the ARF Dashnaktsutyun and representative of Sardarapat movement Zhirayr Sefilyan. Chairman of the party’s board Armen Martirosyan delivered a report, saying that Heritage has always supported strengthening of democracy, as well as protection of human rights and state interests.

On July 2, Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan met with OSCE MG Co-chairs, Ambassadors Bernard Fassier of France, Robert Bradtke of the U.S. and Igor Popov of Russia as well as Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk, who arrived in Yerevan after visiting Artsakh Republic. The parties exchanged views on the situation at the line of contact between NKR and Azerbaijani armed forces. Minister Ohanyan hailed the mediators’ endeavors for achievement of a peaceful and acceptable settlement to the conflict.

Political week started with discussions of the June 18 incident at the contact line between the NKR and Azerbaijani armed forces. Member of the Republican Party of Armenia, MP Gagik Melikyan said he doesn’t think that international institutions assumed a biased stance on the incident. Nevertheless, he emphasized that Azerbaijan should have been named as the provocateur. “It was not the time to make statements admissible for both sides,” he said, hailing the reaction of Armenian and Arstakh leaders, who gave a proper response to Azerbaijan.