The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee held confirmation hearing for U.S. Ambassador-Designate to Azerbaijan Richard Morningstar.

The initiative of the Israeli Meretz party on recognition of the Armenian Genocide emerges with every case of deterioration of relations between Israel and Turkey, which seems to be the worst ever now. On June 12, by decision of Speaker Reuven Rivlin the Knesset plenary session will discuss the topic of the Armenian Genocide. This, however, does mean that the Israeli authorities are going to recognize the Genocide, Haaretz paper reports.

It has just so happened that for the past 10 years I have been visiting Shushi on May 9. It has already become a sort of tradition, almost a ritual. And every year the weather in Nagorno-Karabakh is just disgusting these days: fog, constant rain and cold. But this is not what is worst.

20 years ago, on May 9, 1992, the day of victory in the Great Patriotic War Shushi, the Stalingrad of Karabakh war was liberated, becoming a turning point and paving the way for Armenia’s future victories. This small town, an unassailable fortress surrounded by a deep gorge instilled confidence in Armenians in possible liberation of Artsakh from Azerbaijani yoke.

First the desert was dead and lifeless; only the wind blew over sand dunes, and from time to time caravans passed by. Then it was filled with sounds. At first the sounds were strange, shuffling, as if someone were dragging their feet on the sand, sinking ankle-deep. Then the sounds became tangible, the desert revived, vibrating under the weight of hundreds of thousands of bare, wounded legs. And then there came to be heard moans, cries, and endless shots.

There remains little time before the Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide victims, and Turkey, true to herself, is hastily trying to prove the world, the Armenians and perhaps herself that after all she is not an heir to the Ottoman Empire. It proves to be difficult, almost impossible, but the Turks are trying.

The visit of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to Armenia and Azerbaijan on the formal occasion of the 20th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between the Russian Federation and the two republics of Transcaucasia was actually called to remind those who forgot: Russia is not going to voluntarily leave the South Caucasus.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is still considered politician number one in some countries of Eastern Europe, and not only. Erdogan is awarded prizes for peace, is named man of the year, of the decade, and almost of the century. It’s difficult to find an explanation for this phenomenon. But if you look at the list of countries that award Erdogan, everything becomes more or less clear.

After the resolutions on Iran, Syria, Belarus, Greece, and the financial-economic crisis in general, the EU decided to also refer to the Karabakh problem. Adoption of a document on Armenia by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, in which it proposes to replace the French mandate with the mandate of EU in the OSCE Minsk Group, looks at least odd from the legal point of view. European Union is a separate international structure that has nothing to do with the OSCE, and in this case it is necessary to replace not only France, but also the United States and Russia, if not the institute of co-chairs at all.

Situation in the Armenian-populated region of Georgia, Samtskhe-Javakheti has never been quiet, but in recent years in connection with the intention of Georgia to join NATO and the tension in relations with Russia concern has been stirred up among the Armenian population. Russia’s Diaspora of Javakhk openly declares that if Georgia joins NATO, Javakheti, now part of Georgia, will demand independence.