The 21 year old soldier was named as Karen Ulubabyan (born in 1995), a member of the military formation of the self-declared Nagorno-Karabakh Republic

The progress in the negotiations between the EU and Armenia on a new framework agreement is welcomed, but there are still “open issues”, and political hurdles to overcome; and whatever is agreed will still fall short of the Association Agreement envisaged in 2013.

The President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, told recently decommissioned soldiers they still remain the soldiers of the fatherland, regarless of where and in what area they continue their activities.

20 January was a defining moment in Azerbaijan's quest for statehood and independence. It shook Soviet rule in Azerbaijan, and led to the regaining of independence on 18 October 1991.

As predicted, the process of re-configuration of Georgian politics, following last October's parliamentary elections, has now started in earnest. The political landscape is changing to reflect the new realities in the country and in the international environment, and this should be assesed positively.

Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister, Elmar Mammadyarov, said in an interview that that if there is serious Russian engagement with the Karabakh issue, "the status quo will change, stability will be restored in the region, and the withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied Azerbaijani territories will be ensured"

Armenia and Azerbaijan report the death of their servicemen in the Karabakh conflict zone, but circumstances remain unclear

EU Special Representative emphasised importance of respect for cease fire, and for international humanitarian law, in comments on recent incidents on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Political fall-out continues from incidents on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border on 29 December, amid concerns of further violations of international humanitarian law

Georgia's energy minister, Kakha Kaladze, said that Georgia's dependence on Russian energy resources will not increase as a result of the new agreement and that the fees will be among the highest in Europe.