Ferrero-Waldner On Georgia's EU Prospects
Benita Ferrero-Walder, the EU's external relations commissioner, is currently on a tour of the South Caucasus countries of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Speaking January 21 with RFE/RL's Georgian Service in Tbilisi, Ferrero-Waldner talked about the role of EU monitors in the wake of the August war with Russia, as well as Georgia's prospects for Western integration under the new Eastern Partnership plan.
Armenia Says Close To Mending Ties With Turkey
Armenia said on January 21 it was very close to normalising relations with neighboring Turkey after a century of hostility.
Citing Russian 'Aggression,' EU Looks East
A senior EU official says Russia's "aggressive" foreign policy is forcing the European Union to speed up plans to bring its ex-Soviet neighbors closer to Brussels. A European Commission official also broke new ground by drawing a link for the first time between the bloc's European Neighborhood Policy and eventual EU membership.
Armenian, Azerbaijani Leaders Agree To Meet In Davos
The Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents have agreed to meet on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on January 28 to discuss ways of resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
RFE/RL Asks: What Does The World Want From Obama?
RFE/RL's correspondents across its broadcast region asked local politicians, foreign-policy experts, and civil-society activists a fundamental question about their hopes for the incoming U.S. president: For the good of your country, what would you like to see U.S. President Barack Obama do during his administration?
Turkey Says Armenia Relations May Normalize In '09
Relations between Armenia and Turkey as well as Azerbaijan and Armenia could be normalized this year, state-run news agency Anatolian has reported Turkey's Foreign Minister Ali Babacan as saying.
Armenian Police Break Up Opposition Protest
Riot police used force to disperse more than 200 opposition supporters outside a court in Yerevan where seven opposition members are on trial on charges of attempting a coup d'etat, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reports.
Azerbaijan Concerned By Russian Arms Delivery
Azerbaijan's Foreign Affairs Ministry is expressing concern over the delivery of Russian military equipment and ammunition to Armenia, RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service reports.
Group Calls On Obama To Improve U.S. Image
Human Rights Watch's 19th annual review of human rights practices around the globe is an urgent call to U.S. President-elect Barack Obama to make human rights a priority in his policymaking. The review of major human rights issues in more than 90 countries documents ongoing human rights abuses by states and nonstate armed groups across the globe.
Armenian Opposition Figures Refuse To Stand For Judge
Seven prominent opposition figures arrested in conjunction with the violence on Yerevan streets after Armenia's presidential election last year were ordered out of the courtroom for refusing to stand up to respect the judge.
Georgian Delivery Of Gas To Armenia To Resume
Russian natural-gas deliveries to Armenia via a pipeline passing through Georgian territory will be fully restored on January 13, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reports.
Armenian Speaker Says No 'Political Prisoners'
The speaker of Armenia's parliament, Hovik Abrahamian, denies the presence of political prisoners in his country and urges critics to wait until the completion of trials of leading opposition members.