The RA Government is discussing the issue of sending humanitarian aid to Iran where the recent earthquake caused many victims, injuries and destruction of buildings.

Geneva (ICRC) – Jakob Kellenberger, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), has arrived in Azerbaijan for a two-day visit at the invitation of the Azerbaijani government.

PREPARING FOR THE MILLITARY EXERCISES The signing of the agreement on holding military exercises “Rescuer - 2006” in Armenia between the RA Ministry of Defense and the USA land forces and the Headquarters of the 7th Army was approved today by the members of the Government.

The Foreign Ministry of Nagorno – Kharabahk made an announcement on the failure of the OSCE observation because of the breach of the cease – fire by the Azeri side on the border of Nagorno – Kharabahk and Azerbaijan.

The 5th International Treaty Conference of the cities combating poverty began its work in the Italian city Valencia, in which the member cities of the Treaty, their partner cities and associations, the members of Parliaments, Governments, businessmen and other officials participated.

Today the Secretary of the National Security Council attached to the RA President, Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan received the head of the OSCE Yerevan office, Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin.

RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan had a number of meetings with the US State Department high officials during his two-day visit to Washington.

The RA President Robert Kocharyan and the Minister of Energy Armen Movsisyan had a working meeting today. During the meeting they discussed issues about the mechanisms to assuage the results of the raise of the costs of gas and the construction of the gas pipeline Iran-Armenia.

The Armenian Ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Georgia Hrach Silvanyan finally handed his credentials to the Georgian President Mikhail Sahakashvili.

Today the President of the RA Court of Cassation Hovhannes Manoukyan received the special envoy of the CE Secretary General Boyana Urumova. The aim of the meeting was the discussion of the possibilities of cooperation of the RA and the CE court systems.

The military trainings “Best Joint Effort” and “Best Partner” held within the framework of the NATO program were united under the name of “Joint Bow”.

In the Embassy of San-Marino in Rome the Armenian Ambassador to Italy Ruben Shougaryan and the Ambassador of San-Marino to Italy Barbara Para signed an agreement “About establishing diplomatic relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of San-Marino” in Armenian, Italian and English.

Today Robert Kocharyan had a working meeting with the members of the RA Banks’ Union. He greeted the decision of the union to work more actively mentioning that it will contribute to the development of the cooperation between the Government and the Central Bank.

By the March 18 decree of Robert Kocharyan Ashot Hovakimyan has been resigned from the post of the RA Ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. No new Ambassador has been appointed yet.

Today meetings with the Latvian Ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Armenia Ayvars Vovers took place in the NA.

This morning the RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan received Daniel Fried, the USA State Secretary Deputy on the issues of Europe and Euroasia and Steven Mann, the USA Copresident in the OSCE group in the realm of the territorial visit.

Early in the morning the RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan received the US deputy Secretary General on European and Eurasian affairs Daniel Fried and the OSCE Minsk group co-chair Steven Mann acompanying him. The two officials are in Armenia within the framework of their regional visit.

The RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan met Nikolai Bordujai, the Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The two sides discussed the current situation of the CSTO and the various ways of increasing and improving the organization’s efficiency and activity.

By the March 10 decree of Robert Kocharyan the RA Ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Argentina Vladimir Karmirshalyan has been awarded the diplomatic rank of envoy extraordinary and Minister plenipotentiary.

The Secretary General of the Council of Europe Terry Davis has written to the Foreign Ministers of 37 of the 46 Council of Europe member states as a follow-up to his inquiry with the compliance of member states with their obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights in the context of the alleged secret detentions and rendition flights in Europe.

By the decision of the RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan the RA delegation with the RA Minister of Finance and Economy Vardan Khachatryan at the head will leave for Washington on March 25-30 on the current year to participate in the signing of the agreement between the RA and the «Millennium Challenges» Corporation.

Today the OSCE Mission realized another monitoring of the borderline between Karabakh and Azerbaijan.

The three Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, which deals with the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, have issued a statement regretting the lack of forward movement in the recent negotiations and calling upon Armenia and Azerbaijan to "work vigorously" to achieve a result in 2006. Their statement reads:

The meeting of OSCE Minsk group Co-Chairs and personal representative of OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzey Kasprzyk ended in Washington. During the meeting the diplomats analyzed the results of Rambouillet meeting and discussed the further steps aimed at the regulation of Nagorno Karabakh conflict.