YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian was upbeat on Wednesday–after his talks with Turkish leaders in Istanbul this week–saying that he found a "sincere desire" to improve the historically strained relations with Armenia. But he indicated that the long-awaited opening of the Turkish-Armenian border is still not up for discussion.
Oskanian met with Turkey’s Foreign Minister Abdullah [...]

BAGHDAD (Reuters)–Saddam Hussein appeared before an Iraqi judge as Iraq’s newly sovereign government took the first step towards bringing him to justice–and a possible death penalty–for 35 years of killing and torture. "Today at 10:15 a.m. the Republic of Iraq assumed legal custody of Saddam Hussein," said a terse statement from interim Prime Minister Iyad [...]

STEPANAKERT (Armenpress/ArmInfo)–Speaking from the capital of Mountainous Karabagh Republic on Wednesday–European Union (EU) special representative for the South Caucasus Heikki Talvitie said that in order to reach a peaceful settlement–the sides to the Karabagh conflict must establish an atmosphere of mutual trust.
"I have no illusions regarding a speedy regulation of the conflict–but the peace talks [...]

The 29th Navasartian Ball took place on June 26 at the elegant Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles–where over 600 gathered to celebrate and congratulate Honorary Presidents of the 29th games Charles and Julie Ghailian. Master of Ceremonies Shant Haytaian invited guests to stand in a moment of silence for longtime Homenetmen member Haig Hovsepian who [...]

STEPANAKERT (Armenpress)–A statement released on Wednesday by Karabagh’s Foreign Affairs Ministry–stressed that the upcoming August 8 elections is another step in building a civil society in Mountainous Karabagh Republic (MKR). "We proceed from the fact that only legally elected representatives of authority are empowered with necessary power and bear responsibility for the fate of people [...]

ISTANBUL (Combined Sources)–Armenia’s Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian released details of his June 28 meeting with Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul–noting that during the frank discussion–Turkey expressed its interest in improving relations with Armenia–but added that the timing for such action is not politically conducive for Turkey.
Oskanian–who met with Gul on the sidelines of the NATO summit–confirmed [...]

ISTANBUL (Reuters)–George W. Bush said on Tuesday that Turkey belongs in the European Union and that Europe is "not the exclusive club of a single religion." in what amounted to a rejection of French President Jacques Chirac.
In remarks prepared for delivery at an Istanbul university–Bush refused to back down in the face of Chirac’s criticism [...]

STRASBOURG (AFP)–The European Court of Human Rights on Tuesday condemned Turkey for expelling about 15 Kurdish villagers from their homes under a 1994 state of emergency and for preventing them from recovering their property.
The decision is the first with a bearing on the inability of hundreds of Kurds to return home to their villages in [...]

(Azat Artsakh)–The charitable organization "Shen," which has been active in both Armenia and Mountainous Karabagh–has announced its plans to supply 400 computers to the schools of Karabagh. To date–the program has been implemented in the Askeran and Shoushi regions of the country.
"Children living and studying in the villages must not be cut from the world," [...]

BUDAPEST (Combined Sources)–Criminal proceedings against Ramil Safarov for the brutal killing of Gourgen Margaryan is set to begin in Budapest sometime this fall.
Senior Lieutenant Ramil Safarov–an Azeri officer is accused of hacking Margaryan to death–and of attempting to murder a second Armenian officer Hayk Makuchyan. All three soldiers were attending a NATO Partnership for Peace [...]

STEPANAKERT (ARMENPRESS)–A newly constructed monument dedicated to the unknown soldiers of the Mountainous Karabagh conflict was unveiled in Stepanakert on Monday. Family members of missing combatants and high ranking government and military officials attended the ceremonies–including Mountainous Karabagh Republic (MKR) President Arkady Ghougassian–National Assembly President Oleg Yessayan and Prime Minister Anoushavan Daniyelian.
MKR Education–Culture and Sports [...]

ISTANBUL (Haybad/Zaman)–While the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit may be headlining US President George W. Bush’s trip to Istanbul–Turkey–he took time out on Sunday to meet with various religious leaders.
Bush met with President of Religious Affairs Ali Bardakoglu–Istanbul Mufti Mustafa Cagrici–Fener Greek Patriarch Bartholomeos–Armenian Patriarch Mesrob Mutafyan–Chief Rabbi Ishak Haleva and Syriac Orthodox Archbishop [...]

ISTANBUL (AFP/Armenpress/RFE/RL)–Under pressure by North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU)–Armenia–Azerbaijan and Turkey pledged on Monday to seek to resolve their tangled disputes through trilateral meetings.
The foreign ministers of the three troubled neighbors–Vartan Oskanian of Armenia–Elmar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan–and Abdullah Gul of Turkey met on the sidelines of the NATO summit in [...]

YEREVAN (NoyanTapan)–During a June 27 ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of Armenia’s Vazgen Sargisian Military Institute–270 graduates received their diplomas and military shoulder-straps in the presence of President Robert Kocharian–Prime Minister Antranig Margarian–Defense Minister Serge Sargisian–parliamentarians–government officials and high-ranking military personnel.
The prime minister said that the institute–established during arduous times for the newly independent Armenia–has [...]