EU Council President tells Armenian Parliament "Every effort -- every small step -- towards a peaceful, negotiated settlement will bring the entire region closer to the secure and prosperous future that its citizens deserve."

The President of the European Council addressed the Armenian Parliament and leaders of civil society at the start of his visit to Yerevan.

Herman Van Rompuy will arrive in Armenia later today at the start of a regional tour focussing on reforms and closer co-operation between the EU and the South Caucasus.

Senior Azerbaijani MP dismisses possibility that NKR joins the Karabakh peace process. Diplomats from the Minsk Process co-chair countries will be in the region next week.

Unusual visit of Armenian Foreign Minister to Stepanakert gets analysts wondering if Yerevan is re-positioning itself ahead of the next round of negotiations.

The departure of the Central Asian country from the Collective Security Treaty Organisation is a setback for Putin's plans for Eurasia.

Catherine Ashton said that progress in the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is vital if Armenia’s political association and economic integration with the EU is to achieve its full potential."

Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliev speaks at the passing out parade of the Higher Military School about the readiness of the Azerbaijani army and the spirit of its recruits.

Within the international community there is a view that the Council of Europe needs to focus on its core mission as the guardian of human rights and democracy in Europe.

Senior officials in both Armenia and Azerbaijan have raised the stakes ahead of mediators visit to the region in July.