The Nagorno-Karabakh Foreign Ministry has released a statement on the 20th anniversary of the ceasefire agreement, the NKR Foreign Ministry's website reports. 

It is sad that destructive position of Baku regarding the Karabakh settlement, the militaristic rhetoric of Azerbaijani establishment that reached the rank of the state policy of xenophobia, that jointly hinder peaceful settlement of the conflict, were not reflected in the statement made by the OSCE MG co-chairmen, vice-speaker of the Armenian parliament, Edward Sharmazanov, told Arminfo correspondent when commenting on the latest statement by the OSCE MG co-chairs.

The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter, welcomed the statement made today by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs in commemoration of the ceasefire that entered into force on 12 May 1994, the OSCE press service reports.

Azerbaijan's stance does not allow to reach progress at the talks on Karabakh settlement, Armenia's Deputy Foreign Minister, Shavarsh Kocharyan, told Arminfo correspondent when commenting on the latest statement made by the co-chairs.

 "Needless to say that Crimea's occupation was not planned far before it happened. It was the Kremlin's heavy response to Maidan's victory in Ukraine. It is absolutely clear that the victory in Ukraine became a categorical, vital challenge to Putin's regime," Aleksander Kolomiets, President at the Kyev-based Center for European and Transatlantic Studies, told ArmInfo. 

 Former commander of the internal police troops of Armenia, MP from the Prosperous Armenian Party Faction in the parliament of Armenia, Grigor Grigoryan (nickname Sherif) has renounced his deputy mandate at the extraordinary meeting of the Armenian Parliament on 12 May.

David Lidington, Minister for Europe said in a statement on 12 May: "Today marks 20 years since the Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement. While it brought an end to the fiercest fighting, real peace is yet to be achieved. Sniper fire continues to take lives on both sides; often the soldiers fighting are younger than the ceasefire itself. A humanitarian crisis continues as hundreds of thousands of displaced people still lack an adequate resolution to their plight. Peace will only be possible through compromises on both sides.

 Leader of the Armenian National Congress opposition party (ANC) Levon Ter-Petrosyan claims civic initiatives in Armenia are not able to achieve anything without support by political forces and the vice versa.

Nothing positive should be expected from the new government, and extraordinary elections are the only way out from the current situation, deputy chairman of the Heritage party, Armen Martirosyan, said at today's press-conference.  

France will do everything in its power to find a peaceful solution to the current conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, French president Francois Hollande said in Baku on May 11, according to Trend.

Taking into consideration that Putin's dictator regime will drive towards its strategic goal - absolute reforming of the global security system and total domination at the  European continent, only force may stop the Kremlin monster, Ukrainian political expert, Aleksey Kolomeets, told Arminfo correspondent. 

Today, on May 12, President of the French Republic Francois Hollande will arrive in the Republic of Armenia on a two-day state visit at the invitation of President Serzh Sargsyan, according to the press-service of the Armenian President.

 Armenia proved stronger in the Armenian-Turkish normalization process, Eduard Sharmazanov, Vice Speaker of Armenian Parliament, Spokesman for the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), said during a meeting with the students of the Armenian State Pedagogical University.    

 There are two key actors in South Caucasus region - Turkey and Russia, Eduard Sharmazanov, Vice Speaker of Armenian Parliament, Spokesman for the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), said during a meeting with the students of the Armenian State Pedagogical University.    

Russian Ambassador to Armenia Ivan Volynkin expressed his disappointment at the absence of a number of foreign diplomats from the reception dedicated to the Victory Day. The reception was organized at the Russian Embassy in Armenia. 

 This year Yerevan Opera Theater will present Bizet's Carmen.  

 Several Armenian NGOs demand that Russian Ambassador to Armenia Ivan Volynkin should apologize or resign. 

The last statements by US diplomats James Warlick and John Heffern concerning elements to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict contain nothing new, Russian political scientist, chief editor of kavkazoved.info Andrey Areshev said in an interview to ArmInfo.

 The key to settlement of the Karabakh conflict is not in Washington or any other capital city but in the hands of the people of Karabakh, vice-speaker of the Armenian parliament, press-secretary of the Republican Party of Armenia, Edward Sharmazanov, said at today's meeting with students of Yerevan Pedagogical University. 

"Ambassador Warlick gave a speech at the Carnegie Endowment. In his speech, he outlined U.S. policy and the well-established principles that will serve as the foundation of a peaceful settlement. I don't believe it was meant to announce anything new other than to reiterate what our longstanding position is and our commitment to this process," said Jen Psaki, U.S.  Department Spokesperson, at the Daily Press Briefing on May 7.