22 February: There has been an assasination attempt against the President of the self declared republic of Abkhazia, Alexander Ankvab. Unknown assailants fired at his car as he was travelling from Gudauta to his office in Sukhumi this morning (agencies)

Armenia-EU free trade negotiations launched

21 February: The government of Armenia and the European border agency Frontex will sign a cooperation agreement on February 23. A delegation from Frontex headed by its Executive Director, Mr. Ilkka Laitinen, will arrive in Armenia today. (Mediamax)

Azerbaijan participated for the first time as a guest at the G20 Foreign Ministers meeting in Mexico this week.

21 February: Russian Prime Minister and presidential candidate Vladimir Putin will win the presidential election on March 4 with 58.6 percent of the vote in the first round, according to a survey conducted by state-run pollster VTsIOM. (Vedomosti)

Director NSSI:

20 February: The Azerbaijani Army has started large-scale military exercises on the frontline. The Press Service of the Azerbaijan Defense Ministry said that personnel of Army and Air Forces are involved in the exercises which are being held under command

20 February: The Chairman of the Armenian Parliament Samuel Nikoyan told visiting American congressmen that he would like the USA to take the same stance on Karabakh as on Kosovo. The Congressmen were in Armenia on a short visit on their way to Afghanista

Commentary

20 February: Russia’s armed forces will receive over 400 modern intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), more than 100 military spacecraft and over 2,300 new tanks within the next ten years, Prime Minister and presidential candidate Vladimir Putin sai