In an end of year essay on the state of play in the South Caucasus, long time regional analyst Dennis Sammut says that democrats in the South Caucasus, and their friends, need not be ecstatic about the achievements of 2012. But they can allow themselves a moment of optimism and satisfaction.
The visit of the Russian President Vladimir Putin to Turkey helps to diffuse speculation about increasing tensions between the two Eurasian powers on foreign policy.
A Foreign Ministry spokesman said the report claiming that Azerbaijan's territory was to be made available to Israel for anti-Iranian strikes was "absurd and unfounded."