On July 14 the Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian met with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice discussing of further developing the relationship between Armenia and USA and asserting that the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict that involves Azerbaijan can be only achieved through peace negotiations and not by force.

BAKU (Combined Sources)-Azeri and Armenian forces exchanged gunfire near the Aghdam region of Nagorno-Karabakh over the weekend. According to officials in Baku, two civilians and at least two soldiers were killed in the fighting.

More than 50 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives called upon Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Friday to challenge Azerbaijan's threats of renewed war against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, and to take concrete action to hold leaders in Baku accountable for actions that directly undermine the Administration's policy of fostering peace and stability in the South Caucasus region, reported the Armenian National Committee of America.

YEREVAN (Combined Sources)--International mediators claimed on Thursday to have made further progress towards the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict but indicated that no Armenian-Azeri peace accords will be signed before Armenia's forthcoming presidential election, as the Azeri president threatened war again.

It is true that in today's world the strength of arms will not conquer any land or resolve any war. Azerbaijan continues wrongly accusing Armenia and misleading international community on the issue of Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

STERPANAKERT (Armenpress)---As one of the oldest Armenian cultural centers, the city of Shoushi will be the home of Karabakh's Ministry of Culture and Education, announced its minister Wednesday.

YEREVAN (Armenpress)--A spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, Khazar Ibrahim, told Azerbaijan-Novosti news agency that "Azerbaijan does not trade in its land; Armenian troops must be withdrawn from the occupied regions and Azeri refugees and internally displaced persons must return to their previous homes." "This should be followed by defining the status of Nagorno-Karabakh as part of an integral Azerbaijani republic,' he added.

MADRID (Armenpress)--Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian addressed the 15th annual OSCE Foreign Ministers Council in Madrid Thursday where he highlighted Armenia's successful parliamentary elections and reflected on the progress of OSCE reforms, the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty, and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Below is the text of his speech:

WASHINGTON (Combined Sources)--Diplomats from the United States, Russia and France on Thursday urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to agree to a set of principles for a settlement on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the U.S. State Department said in a statement.

YEREVAN (Combined Sources)--An aide to the President of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and former Foreign Minister, Arman Melikian, presented his resignation on Tuesday to the Karabakh President and announced his plans to put forward his candidacy in the upcoming Armenian presidential race.

YEREVAN (Combined Sources)--Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian and his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov met Wednesday in Madrid on the eve of the 15th annual summit of the Council of OSCE Foreign Ministers to discuss the ongoing Karabakh settlement process with the three OSCE Co-Chairs, the Russian and French Foreign Ministers and the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State on political issues.

YEREVAN (Armradio)--Armenian authorities have set themselves the task of solving the Karabakh issue as soon as possible, but not at any cost, Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian declared during an interview on Haylur. Oskanian's statement was intended to refute suggestions that the authorities are inclined to protract the settlement of the issue.