RFE/RL -- Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian rejected on Tuesday strong criticism of one of his key ministers voiced by Gagik Tsarukian, an influential businessman whose Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) is represented in his cabinet.

Speaking to journalists on Monday, Tsarukian attacked Trade and Economic Development Minister Nerses Yeritsian for stating recently that Armenia’s has emerged from the economic crisis. “He is not in the right position and he has no knowledge of the economy and the country’s economic situation,” said the tycoon.

Commenting on the stinging barb at one of his close associates, Sarkisian countered that “shortcomings” can be found in just about every Armenian ministry. “We must not engage in mutual recriminations and our unity must be our weapon,” the Tert.am news service quoted him as saying. “If there are shortcomings or failings in one or another ministry, our coalition partners should help us rectify them.”

RFE/RL -- The resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict would reflect positively on the situation with human rights in both Armenia and Azerbaijan, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Monday.

Clinton made the remark at a meeting with international journalists and bloggers visiting the U.S. State Department. Responding to a question from an RFE/RL reporter, she dismissed claims that Washington is turning a blind eye to human rights violations in Azerbaijan because of its economic and geopolitical interests in the oil-rich country.

RFE/RL -- Orinats Yerkir Party leader Artur Baghdasarian said on Tuesday that he will not contest Armenia’s next presidential election due in 2013, implying that he will instead help President Serzh Sarkisian win reelection.

Baghdasarian, who is also the secretary of the presidential National Security Council, made the announcement one day after Orinats Yerkir unexpectedly ceded two of its three ministerial portfolios to individuals that have had no formal connection with it until now.

“I will not take part in the presidential elections, but our team will participate in the parliamentary elections of 2012,” he told a news conference.

huffingtonpost.com, by Robbie Gennet -- You may ask yourself why the Armenian genocide currently matters, or more accurately, why Turkey is so resolute against it being recognized as such. One would think after almost a hundred years, an official apology for killing or displacing 2 million Armenians would be a welcome and long overdue occasion for Turkey to make peace with Armenia. But as we've seen, Turkey has threatened "diplomatic consequences" if Obama doesn't suppress a congressional resolution that would officially use the label "genocide" for the incident, even going so far as to withdraw their U.S. Ambassador because of it. In fact, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the issue was a matter of "honor" for his country and no less than Turkish President Abdullah Gul said the following:

"I declare such a decision that was taken with political concerns in mind to be an injustice to history and to the science of history. Turkey will not be responsible for the negative results that this event may lead to."