19 November: Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian will pay visits to the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Denmark, Belgium, and Lithuania, from November 21 to 26. (agencies)
Agreements on establishment of a Eurasian Economic Union between Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan were signed yesterday in Moscow. The Russian leader said "Some of our partners in the Eurasian Economic Community and the CIS are showing interest in this new integration organisation", but Medvedev warned about taking "hasty or excessive steps".
In a recent visit to Moscow, the Irish Foreign Minister introduced the programme of the Irish Presidency to the Russian Government. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov described it as "well balanced and corresponding to the basic principles of the OSCE".
18 November: Gen. Nikolai Makarov, the chief of staff of the Russian Armed Forces, warned on Thursday that the danger of local armed conflicts along Russia's borders has grown following the Soviet Union's breakup, and these conflicts could devel
17 November: Russian newspapers this morning report that leaders of the pro-Kremlin United Russia party discussed the idea to create the Eurasian Union. The Union would have a single language, currency, Central Bank and justice system (Ria-Novosti)
17 November: Azerbaijan and Russia yesterday conducted bilateral discussions on Caspian Sea issues at a meeting held in Baku at Deputy Foreign Minister level (APA)
"The EU can help both sides engage with each other, prepare the ground for a solution, show the advantages of peace and of a peaceful Caucasus strongly connected to the EU".
The author says that the Minsk process is an instrument of diplomacy and not an article of faith and like any other instrument from time to time it needs sharpening.
16 November: Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has signed a decree to dissolve the lower house of parliament and set early elections for January 15, 2012.(agencies)