A poisoned atmosphere hangs over the South Caucasus as Armenia and Azerbaijan deal with the fall out from the release of Ramil Safarov

President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Friday received Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, on the sidelines of the 16th NAM Summit, the Armenian Foreign Ministry reported.

Azerbaijan's decision to pardon Safarov is contrary to ongoing efforts to reduce regional tensions and promote reconciliation, says the Statement by NSC Spokesman Tommy Vietor on Azerbaijan's Decision to Pardon Ramil Safarov, The White House Office of the Press Secretary reports.

Patrick Ventrell, Acting Deputy Spokesperson of the U.S. Department Of State has made a statement on the pardon to Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov.

I officially announce that as of today we suspend diplomatic relations and all official contacts with Hungary, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan said during a special meeting with the heads of diplomatic missions on Friday.

"It is our mistake that we have such government", Laszlo Kemeny, Professor of Political Science, scientist, (Hungary) told ArmInfo when commenting on the Hungarian Government's decision to extradite Ramil Safarov, a murderer of Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan.

Armenia has broken off diplomatic relations with Hungary after an Azerbaijani officer who in 2004 was convicted of killing an Armenian Officer in Hungary was sent back to Azerbaijan where he was duly released.

Rasmussen's visit is a sign of the continued interest of the western alliance in the South Caucasus and its future.

The Azerbaijani media reports that the Azerbaijani army has repelled the attack of the NKR armed forces near Fizouli and, as a result, 2 Armenian soldiers died and several soldiers got wounded has nothing to do with the reality, the press service of the NKR Defense Army told ArmInfo.

The Summit meeting of the Non Aligned Movement has opened in the Iranian Capital Tehran. Armenia and Azerbaijan are represented by their Foreign Ministers