The 46-person detachment of the 12th peace battalion will leave for Iraq on July 10 to replace their colleagues who have been there on a peaceful mission since January 18. {BR} The first shift of the Armenians serving in Iraq – a detachment of 46 soldiers, will return to Armenia on July 16-21.

RA Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Tatoul Margaryan met the International Currency Fund deputy director Mr. Ogustin Carstens on the threshold of Mr. Carstens' visit to Armenia. {BR} During the meeting Mr. Carstens highly appreciated the reforms in the Armenian economy the result of which is the stable economic growth, reduction of poverty and deflation of the national currency. Ambassador...

Today the delegation of Hovik Abrahamyan, Minister of Regional Government, left for Moscow. {BR} The Minister has met the head of the RF President's staff Dmitri Medvedev. The course of organizing events in connection with the Russian year in Armenia has been discussed and a wide circle of events has been envisaged. The draft project of the events of 2006 - the Armenian year in Russia was also discussed....

From now on in the Republic of Armenia the elections will be held in 41 electoral districts. Today the Central Electoral Committee reduced the number of electoral district to 41 from 56, led by the amendments to the Electoral Code. According to the CEC decision, the number electoral districts in Yerevan have been reduced to 13 from 18. {BR} Let us remind you that the amendments to the Electoral Code entered into vigor on July 1.

Today Robert Kocharyan received the delegation of the Iran Islamic Republic Hormozgan region Ebrahim Derazmisu. {BR} Robert Kocharyan welcomed the initiative to establish cooperation between the Ararat region and the Hormozgan region mentioning that the inter-regional cooperation is a well-experiences and efficient means to develop the relations between the two countries. Referring to the Presidential...

Today RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan received Ebrahim Derazmisu, governor of the Iran Islamic Republic Hormozgan region and his delegation. {BR} The sides found the mutual visits important mentioning that they will contribute to the enhancing of cooperation which is important for the whole region. The head of the Armenian delegation voiced confidence that Iran will keep its balanced policy towards...

Sarkis Assadourian, a former member of the Toronto Parliament, has been appointed citizenship judge. The Honourable Joe Volpe, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, today announced the appointment of two citizenship judges one of whom is Sarkis Assadourian. {BR} Sarkis Assadourian is a well-known and well-respected community leader in the Greater Toronto Area. A former member of Parliament, he...

Armenian President Robert Kocharyan congratulated the citizens of the republic on the Constitution Day. {BR} “Within the past decade our Constitution has demonstrated its viability and has pointed out the way to overcome the hardest situations. The Organic Law of our country is the major guarantor of civil accord, rule of law and stability. At this stage the process of constitutional reforms has...

It’s 10 years since the adoption of the Constitution. Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II issued a congratulation letter on the occasion. {BR} “On the day of the adoption of the Constitution our souls admitted the rule of the values and principles, which must bring our country to prosperity and strong state organization. We are convinced that the values of right and humanity in our society...

RA deputy Foreign Minister Gegham Gharibjanyan met Ebrahim Derazmisu, governor of the Iran Islamic Republic Hormozgan region. The delegation with the governor at the head will remain in Armenia till July 7 on the invitation of the Ararat regional governor Alik Sargsyan. {BR} During the meeting issues about the cooperation of the Hormozgan region with Ararat were discussed. Representing the region,...

Today the RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan delivered a congratulating message in connection with the 10th anniversary of the RA Constitution. {BR} «The past ten years showed that being adopted in a hard period for our country the first Constitution of the Republic of Armenia fulfilled its mission contributing to the realization of the statehood of our country, securing the internal and external...

Today the PACE co-reporters Andreas Gross and Andres Herkel will arrive in Baku. The aim of the visit is to investigate the pre-election situation in Azerbaijan and the course of the reforms. Monitorings will be held both in Baku and in the residences of the national minorities. {BR} There will also be meetings with the representatives of the opposition and the Parliamentary fractions.

Although the RA NA session is already over, the deputies will not go on vacation yet. After the holidays of the Constitution they will return to the Parliament. {BR} Taking into account the present of issues to be discussed, Robert Kocharyan signed a decree to convene a special session on July 6. The Armenian deputies will discussed about 10 new laws, 60 amendments, and several international treaties.

Today and tomorrow are holidays in Armenia. Although the constitutional reforms are in full course, the RA citizens are celebrating the Constitution day. 10 yeas ago on July 5 the first Constitution of the Republic of Armenia was adopted by referendum. {BR} In this connection the RA NA President Arthur Baghdasaryan has delivered an congratulating message, «The last few years showed that our Constitution...

On July 1 the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan will hold a reception to celebrate the 229th anniversary of the Independence Day of the United States of America. U.S. Ambassador John Evans will welcome guests to the celebration, during which Americans and Armenians will jointly celebrate the independence of the United States. {BR} United States Independence Day honors the day in 1776 when the Declaration...

The RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan who is in Beirut on a three-day visit continued to meet the high officials of Lebanon on July 1. {BR} During the meeting with the Lebanon President General Emile Lahoud Vardan Oskanyan mentioned that in Armenia people followed the latest developments in Lebanon and we are glad that stability is re-established in the country in which the efforts of the President...

Today the RA Government Charity programs coordinating Committee held its usual session which was presided over by the Committee head S. Ter-Simonyan. {BR} The Committee discussed 6 charity programs. In particular, two programs realized by the pan-Armenian fund “Armenia” have been confirmed – “Technical, specialist and qualitative control of the construction work of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic “North-South” highway 11.6-18.5 km part”...

For the last few days because of technical reasons some flights realized by the company «Armavia» are realized with delay which causes the righteous complaints of the passengers. {BR} The company «Armavia» apologizes for the delays and asks to approach the temporary problems with understanding. In the closes future all the technical problems will be solved and «Armavia» will represent itself newly in the market.

In connection with the national US holiday – the Independence Day Robert Kocharyan and Mrs. Bella Kocharyan visited today the US Embassy to Armenia. {BR} They congratulated the staff of the Embassy and voiced confidence that the close links between the two countries will develop successfully.

Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan visited the house of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and once again condoled with the wife and son of the Premier, leader of Future movement Saad Hariri. The Minister noted that Armenia condemned this inhuman terrorist act and other acts of violence that followed later.{BR} Recollecting the warm relations with Rafic Hariri, Minister Oskanyan noted...

Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan, who is on 3-day visit in Beirut met this morning with Mahmoud Hammoud, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants of Lebanon. {BR} The FMs discussed a number of issues of mutual and international interest and noted the progress of cooperation within international structures since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two states. In his turn...

As a result of the work of the President’s Control Service numerous shortcomings of the post-graduate education system have been revealed. The President has said that the orders established are imperfect and do not secure objective selection of students. Besides, in many cases they are not taken into account, and in some places people do not even know about the existence of such order. {BR} According...

Today the RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan received the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Syrian Arabian Republic Ahmad Arnus. The joint delegation of the Foreign and Finance Ministers with Ahmad Arnus at the head is in Armenia on June 28-30 to take part in political consultations, as well as to sign the agreement between the Governments of the two countries about avoiding double tax. {BR} During...

The delegation with RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan at the head left for Lithuania on a three-day official visit on the invitation of the Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Brasauskas. {BR} Tonight the RA Prime Minister and the members of the delegation visited Old Vilnius and its historical and architectural monuments. The Prime Minister also had a meeting with the representatives of the local...