Turkey's Energy & Natural Resources Minister had a meeting with his Greek counterpart regarding a natural gas pipeline from Azerbaijan to Italy via Turkey and Greece.

Events aimed to facilitate tourism in the country, provide networking opportunities and exchange experience in tourism industry kicked off in Armenia on May 13. During 10 days, guests from neighbor states will have an opportunity to get familiarized with the Armenian culture and ethnic flavor of the country of “speaking stones.”

The political week in Armenia started with debates on the Nagorno Karabakh problem.

85 years ago the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic (NAR) was founded, which in the foreseeable future may become another hotbed of tension and blow up the region. Despite the seeming agreement on Nakhichevan’s belonging to Azerbaijan, Turkey and Iran have begun to test the waters and wage a backstage struggle for the right to dictate their will to Baku, or rather Nakhichevan. Later, this will may grow into conditions; everything depends on the “behavior” of Azerbaijan, which equally depends on Turkey and Iran. But even more she depends on Russia, no matter how hard Baku “experts” and “political analysts” try to assure their nation in the contrary.

The last week can be described as an Armenian international cultural week. Armenia welcomed participants of international festivals and hosted film screenings.

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out as result of the ethnic cleansing the latter launched in the final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991 (when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was proclaimed) to 1994 (when a ceasefire was sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan). Most of Nagorno Karabakh and a security zone consisting of 7 regions are now under control of NKR defense army. Meanwhile, an ideological war was being fought beyond the conflict area.