On January 24, a day after the French Senate approved the bill decriminalizing the Armenian genocide, a prominent Azeri screenwriter Rustam Ibragimbekov announced his refusal to accept the French order of Arts and his resignation from the post of a president of Association of Azerbaijan-France Cultural Ties.

News agencies report that Martin Dempsey, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff visited Israel last week to discuss the issues on a possible attack against Iran.

Dempsey made it clear that “the USA is asking Israel not to act independently against Iran. However, obviously, nothing is reported on whether a strike is on its way or not.

On Russian president Dmitry Medvedev's invitation his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan will leave for a working visit in Sochi on January 23, where another Russia-mediated trilateral meeting of Azeri and Armenian leaders is to be held to discuss the Karabakh settlement issue.

On January 23-24 the French Senate will launch discussions of a bill earlier approved by the National Assembly criminalizing the denial of all genocide – with the practical application affecting recognition of the Armenian genocide.

There is a widespread opinion among Turkish political circles and expert communities that the steps and intentions of the ruling political party in France are dictated by campaign considerations meant to win over the electorate who are of Armenian descent.

The court of Ankara has decided to accept the indictment submitted by a prosecutor's office and order a trial against former president of Turkey Kenan Evren and retired General Tahsin Sahinkaya held responsible for staging a military coup.

Last weekend a session of Public Chamber civil movement was held in Baku in the headquarters of Musavat oppositional political party which hosted the round-table discussion.

As Musavat party leader Isa Gambar stated, the priority of 2012 will be to seek the resignation of President Ilham Aliyev. Other participating politicians also called for off-year presidential elections, among them Ari Karimli leading the Popular Front of Azerbaijan party.

The departing 2011 has brought no progress in the Armenian-Turkish rapprochement process, but has rather aggravated the existing antagonisms.

The first and loudest sign of antagonism was the January campaign against the demolition of a monument in Kars symbolizing “Armenian-Turkish friendship”. The catch is that the opening of this monument in 2008 was related to the signing of the Armenian-Turkish protocols the same year.

World antagonisms are developing in leaps and bounds making it practically impossible to make any prognosis on what scenarios the coming year will bring for one separate issue.

Nonetheless, it is reasonable to assume that no principal progress will be made in the Karabakh conflict settlement.

On December 22 the National Assembly of France will put to voting the bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial and making it punishable with imprisonment and a fine. After the voting the bill will be submitted to the French Senate.

The Turkish foreign ministry immediately voiced its objections.

After the December 4 elections to the State Duma, the general situation in Russia is judged by single acts of protest in a number of Russian cities, first of all in Moscow, where acts of discontent are met with suppression.