RFE/RL -- At least two Azerbaijani soldiers have been killed in renewed fighting with Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh, it emerged on Wednesday.

FNA -- Armenian Minister of Agriculture Gerasim Alaverdyan announced that his country is importing wheat from Iran due to Russia's ban on wheat exports.

The Mancho Group Company is now dealing with Iran, Alaverdyan said on Monday.

The minister further said that the wheat is to undergo a quality examination.

Iranian Minister of Agricultural Jihad Sadeq Khalilian said last week that Iranian wheat output will reach 14.5 million tons this year (ends on March 20).

This month, it landed on the editorial pages of two Washington newspapers, adding fuel to the controversy that began in May, when Matthew Bryza's nomination was first announced.

Bryza was one of the most visible U.S. officials in the Caucasus region during the administration of former President George W. Bush, serving as deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs. He was also the U.S. co-chair of the Minsk Group, which seeks to broker a settlement to the dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Bryza's nomination has been harshly criticized by Armenian groups for what they see as his pro-Azerbaijan bias and alleged personal ties to the regime of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

RFE/RL -- An Azerbaijani soldier has been taken prisoner after crossing into Armenian-controlled territory north of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Karabakh Armenian military announced over the weekend.

In a short statement, the Karabakh Defense Army said Roman Huseynov, a 25-year-old Azerbaijani army sergeant, surrendered to its forces late on Friday.

Citing the results of a “preliminary inquiry,” it said Huseynov did so because of being subjected to “regular humiliating actions” by his commanders. “Details of the incident are being clarified,” added the statement.

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry did not refute or confirm the report as of Monday evening. News reports from Baku said on Monday the local office of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICCR) has asked its counterparts in Armenia to verify the information.

RFE/RL -- Risking a renewed confrontation with the government, the opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK) announced on Monday its intention to rally supporters in a historic square in downtown Yerevan for the first time in over 18 months.

The HAK decided earlier this summer to resume its regular street demonstrations in the capital on September 17. Some of its senior figures have spoken of a new opposition push for leadership change in Armenia.