1. According to an Armenian Paper, Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan May Have Briefed Baku Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on New Karabakh Plan

Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan sweep, May 19th

Armenia:

• 1. According to an Armenian paper, Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan may have briefed Baku Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on new Karabakh plan.

• 2. Former Armenian Foreign Minister Aleksandr Arzumanyan has denied reports that the leader of the Armenian National Congress, former President Levon Ter-Petrosyan, will meet top US officials during his visit to the USA. (TV)

Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan accused Azerbaijan of “distorting the contents of the negotiation process.” (TV)

Georgia:

• 3. Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast, heading a media delegation, is scheduled to arrive in Tbilisi for an official visit. Mehman-Parast is scheduled to meet with his Georgian counterpart, Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze and other officials of the country.

• 4. An opinion poll suggests that Georgia's ruling National Movement, including its Tbilisi mayoral candidate, incumbent Gigi Ugulava, enjoy a commanding lead ahead of the upcoming local elections on 30 May.

• 5. Eight Georgian citizens have been detained in South Ossetia for violating the state border, Merab Chigoyev, South Ossetian president's deputy representative for issues of post-conflict settlement, reported today.

• 6. Senator John McCain criticized the Obama administration saying that support for liberty and human rights is "mostly missing" from the U.S. foreign policy and as one of the examples, among others, the Senator brought situation in Georgia vis-à-vis Russia.

• 7. Campaigners for former Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli's pro-Russian For a Just Georgia Party have held a protest demanding wage arrears. (TV)

French and Georgian officials are discussing an initiative that would simplify the rules for Georgian citizens to work in France. A quota of 500 Georgians per year will likely be stipulated. (TV)

• 8. On May 26, Georgia will celebrate Independence Day. Azerbaijan:

• 9. "The so-called "parliament elections" to be held (on May 23) by the separatist regime of the Nagorno-Karabakh are illegal and all international observers wishing to observe the course of these "elections" will be declared persona non grata », Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Elkhan Polukhov said today.

• 10. Russia is ready to assist Azerbaijan in eliminating consequences of the natural disaster if Baku asks for help, Russian ambassador to Azerbaijan Vladimir Dorokhin said.

• 11. State Oil Company of Azerbaijan and the Aurora Progress, the Swiss based commodity trading house announced about an agreement on cooperation in the development of oil storage tanks, including the terminal for oil storage.

• 12. Ali Hasanov, head of the public and political department of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration said about the parliamentary election planned in Nagornyy Karabakh region : "We have condemned this election and we have underlined that the election will have a negative effect on the negotiations process "

• 13. Azeri TV “Xabarci” reported on May 18 that “Armenian armed forces have fired on Azerbaijani positions in Tartar, Xocavand and Fuzuli districts”, but that no casualties were reported.

Armenia:

1. Armenian paper says Turkish PM may have briefed Baku on new Karabakh plan

Text of unattributed report by moderate opposition Armenian newspaper 168 Zham on 18 May headlined "A new plan?"

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan left for Baku on 17 May, where he according to Turkish press reports, he presented a new plan of the Karabakh settlement to the Azerbaijani authorities. In particular, according to the Turkish Hurriyet paper, Erdogan introduced to [Azerbaijani President] Ilham Aliyev a plan, whereby Armenia will vacate two out of the seven liberated districts, Kalbacar and Fuzuli, and in exchange Azerbaijan will open its border with Armenias. According to Turkish sources, this plan was developed at Erdogans's meetings with the Armenian and the US presidents in Washington and with the Russian president in Ankara.

Whether Erdogan did introduce this plan to Aliyev or not - no official statement was made on this as of 17 May. After the meeting with Aliyev it was only said that "satisfaction was voiced in connection with successful development of friendly and brotherly ties between Azerbaijan and Turkey".

It is obvious that the word is about "3+2+2" or "2+3+2" options of return of librated territories. That is - it turns out that Armenia consented to return of at least two districts, and Erdogan went to Baku to convince Aliyev of that. It is interesting that Armenia did not anyhow officially deny this report and the fact of existence of such a plan. Meanwhile, its existence is demonstrated also by the fact that as early as last week [10-17 May] Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev announced that Russia will continue to "push forward" the process of settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict and will be consulting with Turkey on the matter from now on. That is, it is possible that the plan which Erdogan took to Baku is a result of such a consultation.

Source: Armenian newspaper 168 Zham, Yerevan, in Armenian 18 May 10 p 1

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2. Programme summary of Armenian Public TV "Haylur" news 1600 gmt 18 May 10

Presenter Kristine Melkonyan

1.0035 Headlines.

2. 0130 Hail has damaged crops in Armenia's Aragatsotn village. Video report.

3. 0517 Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has received a delegation of the Belorussian National Academy of Sciences. The sides discussed cooperation in the field of science. Presenter-read report over video of a meeting.

4. 0506 President Serzh Sargsyan and Dunja Mijatovic, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, have discussed the OSCE's role in the protection of human rights and electoral reforms in Armenia in Yerevan. Sargsyan said Armenia attaches importance to the OSCE's role in establishing stability and security in the region. Mijatovic welcomed moves by the Armenian authorities to remove the criminalization of libel and insult. Presenter-read report over video of a meeting. 5. 0613 Armenian parliament has discussed draft changes to the law "On TV and radio". After the changes linked to the digitalization of TV broadcasting are approved by parliament, the number of TV stations will be reduced from the current to 18. Three TV frequencies will be digitalized and it will be possible to broadcast six TV channels on each frequency. The government will finance the purchase of digital TV receivers for poor people. Correspondent-read report over video of a parliamentary session. The draft law envisages shift to digital broadcasting on 10 July. The transition will take three to five years.

6. 0937 Armenian parliament approved a law on mandatory insurance vehicles in its final reading today. The mandatory insurance system will be launched in Armenia starting on 1 January 2011. Presenter-read report over video of vehicles.

7. 1016 The Gafesjian museum in Yerevan has held an open-door day for orphan children and disabled people. Armenian Parliament Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan attended a concert held at the museum. Video shows Abrahamyan attending the museum.

8. 1153 The construction of an underground parking area near the opera house in Yerevan will be accomplished by the end of May. Correspondent reports over video of an underground parking.

9. 1651 Video report on the renovation of a bridge in Yerevan's Shengavit District and landscaping plans in Yerevan. Video shows Yerevan Mayor Gagik Beglaryan visiting a construction side and a greenhouse.

10. 1631 A representative of the opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC), Former Armenian Foreign Minister Aleksandr Arzumanyan, has denied reports that the leader of the ANC, former President Levon Ter-Petrosyan, will meet top US officials during his visit to the USA. Arzumanyan said Ter-Petrosyan is on a private 12-day visit to the USA. Arzumanyan expressed concern over recent Russian-Turkish rapprochement. Presenter- read report over video of Arzumanyan speaking at a news conference. Arzumanyan said a military solution to the Karabakh conflict is not likely at the moment, although he does not rule it out on the whole.

11. 1754 Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan is interviewed in the TV studio on the current stage of the Karabakh settlement. Kocharyan comments on a recent statement by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on the updated Madrid principles, saying that the negotiations are being held on the basis of the Madrid principles proposed in 2007, and that Azerbaijan has refused changes to the Madrid principles since then. According to the Madrid principles, the Karabakh issue should be settled based on three international norms: self-determination of peoples, territorial integrity and non-use of force, Kocharyan said. He accused Azerbaijan of distorting the contents of the negotiation process.

12. 2510 The Azerbaijani ambassador to France has attended a discussion on the Karabakh issue in Paris, although he was not invited to the discussion, presenter said. The discussion had been organized by the Armenian General Benevolent Union and the speaker was EU Special Representative for South Caucasus Peter Semneby. The Azerbaijani ambassador made a 10-minute "propaganda" speech on the Karabakh issue and unexpectedly left the discussion when the permanent representative of the unrecognized Nagornyy Karabakh republic in Paris started speaking. Correspondent-read report over video of a meeting. 13. 2656 Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer, who is on a visit to Armenia, laid flowers at the memorial to the victims of the 1915 Armenian genocide in Yerevan today. Presenter-read report over video of Fischer visiting the memorial.

14. 2741 Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan has visited the Biokat diary plant to familiarize himself with the results of the use of 120m-dram (about 316,000-dollar) state loan provided to the plant. The loan was provided to the plant as part of the anti-crisis measures. Correspondent reports over video of Sargsyan attending production facilities. Video shows Sargsyan saying that the government's support to the plant yielded results.

15. 3002 The Yerevan Polytechnic University and the Russian ambassador to Armenia have discussed the training of railway and drainage specialists in Armenia. Correspondent reports over video of a meeting.

16. 3233 Twenty Armenian peacekeepers in Afghanistan have been awarded medals and certificates of honor by the command of German troops in that country. Presenter-read report over video of men in uniforms.

17. 3249 Foreign news:

18. 3445 Culture news.

19. 3720 Presenter signs off.

Source: Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan, in Armenian 1600 gmt 18 May 10

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Georgia:

3. FM Spokesman Leaves Tehran for Georgia http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8902291444

19:08 | 2010-05-19 TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast, heading a media delegation, left Tehran for Tbilisi for an official visit.

Mehman-Parast is scheduled to meet with his Georgian counterpart, Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze and other officials of the country.

Earlier Azeri Trend News Agency quoted the Georgian Foreign Ministry that meetings are planned with the Iranian delegation. A memorandum of cooperation in the sphere of media will also be signed.

Plans also include holding a joint roundtable. Meantime, Russian daily, the Moscow Times reported today that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been invited to visit Georgia by President Mikheil Saakashvili.

"We received a kind invitation from Saakashvili when he met with the ambassador recently," the daily quoted the spokesman of the Iranian embassy in Tbilisi Alireza Majidi as saying on Tuesday.

4. Georgia: Poll shows incumbent Tbilisi mayor, ruling party with big lead - TV

An opinion poll carried out by the French CSA research company suggests that Georgia's ruling National Movement, including its Tbilisi mayoral candidate, incumbent Gigi Ugulava, enjoy a commanding lead ahead of the upcoming local elections on 30 May, private Georgian Imedi TV reported on 19 May.

The poll found that 57 per cent of respondents support Ugulava for the post of Tbilisi mayor; 14 per cent support opposition Alliance for Georgia leader Irakli Alasania; 11 per cent - Gia Chanturia, of the Christian Democratic Movement; 10 per cent - Industrialist party leader Gogi Topadze; and 6 per cent - pro-Russian National Council Tbilisi candidate Zviad Dzidziguri.

Forty-four per cent out of respondents said they would vote for the ruling National Movement in the election to Tbilisi's City Council; 23 per cent for the Christian Democratic Movement; 16 per cent for the Alliance for Georgia; 9 per cent for the Industrialist party; and 7 per cent for the National Council.

The TV noted that the poll had been held at the request of private Georgian TV channels - Imedi and Rustavi-2, and the CSA interviewed 1,000 people on 1-4 May.

However, on 19 May at 1100 gmt Rustavi-2 showed opposition leader Levan Gachechiladze challenging the credibility of opinion polls, saying that the polls do not reflect the "real picture", and described them as "acts of psychological terror".

Source: Imedi TV, Tbilisi, in Georgian 1000 gmt 19 May 10; Rustavi-2 TV, Tbilisi, in Georgian 1100 gmt 19 May 10

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5. Breakaway South Ossetia detains eight Georgians for violating "border"

Text of report by corporate-owned Russian news agency Interfax

Tskhinvali, 19 May: Eight Georgian citizens have been detained in [Georgia's breakaway] South Ossetia for violating the state border, Merab Chigoyev, South Ossetian president's deputy representative for issues of post-conflict settlement, reported on Wednesday [19 May]. Chigoyev told journalists that the South Ossetian law-enforcement bodies detained five Georgian citizens on Tuesday [18 May] for illegal border crossing in the republic's Znauri district.

"In addition, another person was detained for the same reason in the village of Artsevi of Tskhinvali District on the same day," he said.

"Currently, the reasons the Georgian citizens violated the state border are being established," Chigoyev added.

He also said that two teenagers were also detained on the border in Znauri district. "The teenagers were warned against illegally crossing the border and were freed into the neighbouring territory," Chigoyev said.

Source: Interfax news agency, Moscow, in Russian 0821gmt 19 May 10

6. Sen. McCain Criticizes Obama over Georgia http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=22313 Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 19 May.'10 / 01:42

Republican Senator John McCain criticized the Obama administration saying that support for liberty and human rights is "mostly missing" from the U.S. foreign policy and as one of the examples, among others, the Senator brought situation in Georgia vis-à-vis Russia.

"Not only are Russian forces still occupying sovereign Georgian territory; they are digging in their military presence. But last week, the President resubmitted to Congress a civil-nuclear agreement with Russia, stating, and I quote, ‘the situation in Georgia is no longer an obstacle...’ And some wonder why the Georgians feel that Washington is selling them out to Moscow as the price of our ‘hitting the reset button’," Senator McCain, who visited Georgia this January, told a conference at the Nixon Center, according to his prepared remarks.

After the August, 2008 war between Georgia and Russia, the Bush administration froze nuclear treaty with Russia, citing that Russia's actions were "incompatible with peaceful relations with its sovereign and democratic neighbor, Georgia."

On May 10, in a message to the Congress requesting for the support to this treaty with Russia, President Obama said that he had reviewed the situation and concluded, that "the situation in Georgia need no longer be considered an obstacle to proceeding with the proposed Agreement."

"The sad thing is, it’s not just the Georgians. Ask the Poles, or the Czechs, or others in central Europe, and you’ll hear the same anxiety about American abandonment," Senator McCain said.

In the context of the Obama administration's stance on Syria and Lebanon, McCain said: "There is nothing wrong with engagement, but it’s a tactic, not a foreign policy, and we should never give the impression that engagement with our enemies comes at the expense of the sovereignty and independence of our friends." On May 15 The Washington Post ran an op-ed under the headline "U.S. Abandoning Russia's Neighbors" by David J. Kramer, who is a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States and a former deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs in the George W. Bush administration.

"The administration seems to have moved toward a "Russia only" approach, neglecting and even abandoning other countries in the region," he wrote and suggested that "the most glaring example of this trend" was President Obama's message to the Congress.

"It would be one thing to resubmit the... treaty noting that the United States still has serious disagreements with Russia over Georgia. Instead, by stating so baldly that the situation in Georgia is no longer an obstacle to advancing Russian-American relations, the administration is essentially abandoning the Georgians and giving Russia a green light to continue to engage in provocative behavior along its borders," David J. Kramer wrote.

On May 18 the issue was further discussed in a piece published on the Huffington Post by Moscow-based TIME Magazine reporter, Simon Shuster, under the headline "Obama's Betrayal of Georgia Kind of Makes Sense". In the article the author, who interviewed President Saakashvili and some of his advisors more than a month ago, discusses the issue in the context of Georgia's internal developments, making focus on President Saakashvili's personality and looking into his alleged role in Imedi TV's notorious fake news report, suggesting that "Saakashvili showed himself to be impulsive, even erratic, and a dangerous partner for the United States."

7. Programme summary of Georgian Rustavi-2 TV "Kurieri" news 1700 gmt 19 May 10

Presenters Diana Jojua and Zaal Udumashvili

170015 Headlines

1. 170058 The body of a 11- or 12-year-old boy was found at a garbage dump in Tbilisi's Gldani district. The unidentified child is thought to have been murdered.

2. 170350 The Russian-Polish interstate commission probing the 10 April plane crash in Smolensk, Russia that killed Polish President Lech Kaczynski and dozens of other top Polish officials, released its preliminary findings today. They rule out terrorism and note that the pilots had not undergone refresher courses as required.

3. 170744 The French pollster CSA has found that the ruling National Movement party, and its Tbilisi mayoral candidate, incumbent Gigi Ugulava, enjoy a commanding lead ahead of the 30 May local elections. Opposition candidates cast doubt on the validity of the result. (Covered from Imedi TV)

4. 171153 Campaigners for former Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli's pro-Russian For a Just Georgia Party have held a protest demanding wage arrears. Rustavi-2 quotes an unnamed "source" as saying Noghaideli is no longer financing the National Council coalition - of which his party is a part and which is taking part in the elections. Report suggests that Noghaideli no longer enjoys support from the Kremlin and that Moscow is now "placing its bet" on another pro-Russian politician, former Parliament Speaker Nino Burjanadze.

5. 171527 The Education Ministry is working on elaborating a new "code of ethics for teachers", which says that teachers should be available to counsel their students and ensure a non-violent learning environment.

6. 171837 Several of the Georgian national football team's top players are not travelling with the team to Austria for a match with Cameroon. Coach Tamaz Ketsbaia promises to explain the lineup changes after he returns home.

172109 Still to come; paid campaign ad for incumbent Tbilisi mayor Gigi Ugulava; commercials

7. 172622 French and Georgian officials are discussing an initiative that would simplify the rules for Georgian citizens to work in France. A quota of 500 Georgians per year will likely be stipulated.

8. 172929 "More and more people from leading countries" are visiting Georgia this year thanks to its "security and political stability", presenter says, introducing a video report on Georgia's tourism potential. "The problems created by the 2008 Georgian-Russian war no longer exist," correspondent says. Report goes on to show interviews with satisfied European tourists.

9. 173139 Report on incumbent Tbilisi mayor Gigi Ugulava's campaign activities today.

10. 173240 Leaders and candidates of the Christian Democratic Party campaigned in Borjomi today.

11. 173322 A local company plans to publish the works of some 50 modern Georgian authors in Braille.

173601 Weather; still to come; commercials; sport; preview of tonight's "Who wants 20,000?" game show

12. 174802 Feature on manuscripts stored at the National Archive.

175253 Presenters sign off

Source: Rustavi-2 TV, Tbilisi, in Georgian 1700gmt 19 May 10

8. BBCMon News Diary 20-30 May 2010 - Former Soviet Union […]

26 May

GEORGIA: Independence Day; marks declaration of independence from Russia in 1918; military parade and presidential address normally take place (BBC Monitoring) Azerbaijan:

9. Azerbaijani FM: All international observers in so-called "parliament elections" in Nagorno-Karabakh will be declared persona non grata http://en.trend.az/news/karabakh/1690532.html

19.05.2010 17:35 Azerbaijan will declare all international observers in the so-called "parliament elections" in the Nagorno-Karabakh persona non grata.

"The so-called "parliament elections" to be held by the separatist regime of the Nagorno-Karabakh are illegal and all international observers wishing to observe the course of these "elections" will be declared persona non grata. The Nagorno-Karabakh is Azerbaijan's land and anyone, who visited the area without Azerbaijan's permission, is declared persona non grata, and later he can not visit Azerbaijan," Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Elkhan Polukhov told Trend today.

The Nagorno-Karabakh's Separatist regime will hold parliamentary elections May 23.

The Armenian media reported that the former OSCE Special Representative for South Caucasus and present representative of the Paris office of the Institute for Democracy and Cooperation, Maurice Bono will observe the "elections".

The Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry earlier made a statement on so-called "parliament elections" in the Nagorno-Karabakh.

"Any kind of elections in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan may be recognized as fair and free once the expelled Azerbaijani population takes full, direct and equal part in their conduct in lawful and democratic environment equally to the Armenian population of the region. Holding such elections will be possible after the withdrawal of the Armenian occupying forces, normalization of life in the region, creation of necessary conditions for restoration of the dialogue and cooperation between the Armenian and Azerbaijani communities of Nagorno- Karabakh," the statement says.

"Conduct of such "elections" gravely violates the relevant provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the norms and principles of international law, since they are held in absence of the original Azerbaijani population of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, and, therefore shall have no legal effect whatsoever," the ministry reported.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the occupied territories.

"If any individual is going to monitor the "parliamentary election" in the Nagorno-Karabakh - it is his/her right, but the fact that the former EU Special Representative for South Caucasus, a person once endowed with quite a lot of power, who was supposed to deal with the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the stabilization of situation in the South Caucasus, causes surprising and doubt that he was ever objective while occupying this post," Azerbaijani political scientist Fikret Sadikhov said.

That's why for so many years we are fighting over the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, namely diplomats such as Bono and others like he, took a one-sided position and supported separatism in Azerbaijan and were not interested in resolving the conflict and deoccupation of the Azerbaijani territories, he said.

"In fact, it is a real reflection of the reality, which Azerbaijan faced for many years, trying to solve this prolonged conflict situation", Sadikhov said.

10. Russia ready to assist Azerbaijan in eliminating consequences of natural disaster http://en.trend.az/news/politics/foreign/1690560.html

19.05.2010 17:14 Russia is ready to assist Azerbaijan in eliminating consequences of the natural disaster if Baku asks for help, Russian ambassador to Azerbaijan Vladimir Dorokhin told journalists during his visit to Lankaran.

"So far, the Azerbaijani side has not asked for help from the Russian side, I think it's because the Azerbaijani side is trying to cope itself, but if there is a request, then we'll be the first who will come to help you," Dorokhin said.

In recent days, floods occurred in 40 districts of Azerbaijan due to rise in Kur River and rainfalls. As a result of the disaster, about 20,000 houses were flooded, more than 300 destroyed, 2,000 became unsafe and 50,000 hectares of cultivated land left under water.

11. SOCAR to develop oil transshipment in UAE 19.05.2010 15:51 http://en.trend.az/capital/pengineering/1690460.html

Azerbaijan, Baku, May 19 / Trend /

SOCAR (State Oil Company of Azerbaijan) and the Aurora Progress, the Swiss based commodity trading house announced about an agreement on cooperation in the development of oil storage tanks, including the terminal for oil storage, which is under construction, in the port of Fujairah in UAE.

SOCAR will be presented by the company SOCAR Trading (Switzerland).

The terminal with capacity of 641,000 cubic meters includes 20 reservoirs and has the capacity for transshipment of gasoline, naphtha, middle distillates and other petroleum products.

Independent operator of the terminal, offering power infrastructure to third parties, will be SOCAR AURORA.

12. Azeri official says vote planned in rebel Karabakh to hurt peace talks

An Azerbaijani official has said that a parliamentary election planned to be held in the breakaway Nagornyy Karabakh region later in May would undermine peace negotiations with Armenia.

"We have condemned this election and we have underlined that the election will have a negative effect on the negotiations process," Ali Hasanov, head of the public and political department of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration, said on the Lider TV channel. "We have announced that the election is unacceptable for Azerbaijan and we have called the OSCE co-chairs to assess the election with the same principle and condemn it. Each step of the separatist regime and each step taken to approve the actions of the separatist regime adversely affects the peace building process and the settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh, Armenia and Azerbaijan conflict."

Source: Lider TV, Baku, in Azeri 1100 gmt 19 May 10

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13. Programme summary of Azeri ANS TV "Xabarci" news 1600 gmt 18 May 10

Presenter Afat Telmanqizi and Ayaz Nizamioglu

1. 0010 Headlines.

2. 0147 Armenian armed forces have fired on Azerbaijani positions in Tartar, Xocavand and Fuzuli districts. No casualties are reported.

3. 0130 Eighteen years have passed since the capture of Azerbaijan's Lacin District by Armenians. Residents of Lacin District laid flowers at the graves of those killed in the Karabakh war. Presenter-read report over archive footage.

4. 0520 The level of water in the Kur River has raised to a critical point, the chairman of Azerbaijan's Water and Melioration Department Ahmad Ahmadzada told ANS TV; video report. 5. 0836 An ANS correspondent reports by phone on the situation in Sabirabad District.

6. 1001 More report on the situation in the flood-hit districts.

7. 1045 Torrential rain has also inflicted serious damage to farming areas in the districts of Saki, Daskasan and Xacmaz; video report.

8. 1415 Video report on weather forecast for Azerbaijan.

9. 1516 The flooding in Azerbaijan was among issues discussed at a NATO meting held in Baku today. NATO officials expressed their readiness to facilitate the elimination of results of the natural disaster. Video shows the meeting.

10. 1802 Video report on floods in Europe.

11. 1958 Foreign news: an agreement on nuclear fuel swap was signed by Iran, Brazil and Turkey.

12. 2410 The OSCE's Baku office organized a round table to discuss the forthcoming parliamentary election in Azerbaijan; video report.

13. 2713 Azerbaijani actress Ofelya Aslan has died.

14. 2855 Headlines of economic and sport news.

15. 2920 Presenters sign off.

Source: ANS TV, Baku, in Azeri 1545 gmt 18 May 10

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