Recently a state inspectоrate on labor was formed in the Ministry of Labor and Social Issues. The new structure has already proceeded to work. Today Robert Kocharyan met with the leaders of the inspectorate. Minister of Labor and Social Issues Aghvan Vardanyan was also present at the meeting. {BR} Head of the state inspectоrate on labor Arsen Grigoryan presented the principal directions...

Today Robert Kocharyan had a working meeting with the leaders of the member-parties of the political coalition. The draft Constitution was discussed. {BR} This is the only information spread by the RA President information service and we can only guess what the authorities will answer the Venice Commission which is not at all satisfies with the coalition draft constitution.

In the House of Lords in Great Britain an International Conference devoted to Genocide took place organized by the British-Armenian multi-party Parliamentary group. RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan who had arrived the previous evening from Peking was invited to the Conference as the main speaker. {BR} The issue of the Armenian Genocide was discussed in the context of Turkey's membership to the...

Today Robert Kocharyan received Nikolay Bordyuja, Secretary General of the Joint Security Agreement Organization. {BR} The sides discussed the issues included in the agenda of the Joint Security Council session to take part in Moscow on June 22-23, the problems faced by the Organization, the ways of their solution and the further activity of the organization. Nikolay Bordyuja represented the works...

As part of its efforts to help combat human trafficking in Armenia, the OSCE Office in Yerevan organized a meeting today with Armenian officials and NGO representatives to discuss the establishment of a so-called National Referral Mechanism in the country. {BR} National Referral Mechanisms (NRMs) are co-operative frameworks through which state institutions - in partnership with civil society - fulfill...

Armenia has been elected deputy President of the 60th session of the UN General Assembly. {BR} As deputy President country, Armenia, in the face of the permanent representative to the UN, Ambassador Armen Martirosyan, will take part in the works of the Chief Committee. The 90th session of the General Assembly will start on September 14. The Chief Committee is responsible for the works of the General...

During Robert Kocharyan’s today’s working consultation the preliminary set of offers about the plan of actions Armenia-EU within the framework of the “European New Neighbors” policy was discussed. The participants of the consultation were the Ministers of Commerce and Economic Development, Justice, Finance and Economy, as well as head of the Government, the deputy Foreign Minister and other officials concerned by the field. {BR} A reference...

Defense Minister, Secretary of the National Security Council attached to the RA President Serge Sargsyan received Nikolay Bordyuja, Secretary General of the Joint Security Agreement Organization. {BR} During the meeting the sides discussed the issues included in the agenda of the Joint Security Council session to take part in Moscow on June 22-23, the problems faced by the Organization, the ways of...

Today RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan received the Irani Islamic Republic Education Minister Morteza Haji and his delegation. {BR} Finding the enhancing of two-party and regional cooperation with our neighbor and friend Iran, Andranik Margaryan underlined that different visits, as well as the efficient work of the Armenian-Irani of Economic Cooperation inter governmental Commission considerably...

Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Nikolay Bordyuzha is arriving in Yerevan tomorrow. {BR} He is scheduled to meet with Robert Kocharyan and Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan. During the visit Nikolay Bordyuzha will report on issue included in the agenda of the upcoming CSTO sitting as well as problems, ways of their settlement and further plans. To note, Robert...

Today Deputy Foreign Minister Gegham Gharibjanyan received Iranian Minister of Education Morteza Haji, who is on three-day visit to Armenia. {BR} G. Gharibjanyan welcomed the guest and condoled with the Iranian people and families of the killed and wounded in the explosions in Tehran. He also expressed assurance that nothing can destabilize Iran and affect the outcomes of the presidential election...

Today Robert Kocharyan received Vice President of the World Bank Shigeo Katsu and head of the Armenian Office Roger Robinson. Noting the successful process of programs implemented in Armenia, Mr. Katsu rated the partnership as efficient. {BR} “We are carrying out the reforms with confidence. We do need these reforms and our purpose is to overcome the transitional period within shortest terms”,...

Today RA National Assembly Arthur Baghdasaryan received the Iranian delegation headed by Minister of Education Morteza Haji. Armenian Minister of education and Science Sergo Yeritsyan was also present at the meeting. {BR} The parties discussed bilateral cooperation, possibility of organizing a conference allowing the heads of institutes of higher education of both states to work out programs for collaboration...

RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan who is in Thailand on an official visit met today with the President of the Thailand National Assembly Chamber of Representatives Bhokin Balakula. {BR} During the meting the head of the RA Government mentioned that Armenia gives much importance to the cooperation with Thailand. The sides mentioned that the relations between Armenia and Thailand are important not...

Serge Sargsyan, Defense Minister and secretary of the Security Service attached to the RA President, received the delegation of Sir Brian Fall, United Kingdom Representative to the South Caucasus. {BR} Ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Armenia Ms. Torda Ebbot Watt also took part in the meeting. At Mr. Fall’s request Minister...

Sir Brian Fall (United Kingdom Representative to the South Caucasus) and Simon Smith (Head of Eastern Department in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London) will visit Yerevan from 12-14 June. {BR} The visit is the first part of a preparatory tour of countries in the South Caucasus before the United Kingdom assumes the Presidency of the European Union on 1 July. It will include calls on President...

RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan who is in China on an official visit met CPR Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing. {BR} The discussion went on during the official banquet. The Ministers spoke about the Armenian-Chinese relations and stated with content that for the first three months of this year the commercial-economic balance has risen for 73%. They found the enhancing of cooperation in the scientific-technical...

On June 11 Robert Kocharyan signed the laws on amending the RA Laws on the budget system, Local governing, and Value Added Tax. {BR}

On June 15-19 in Danblane, Scotland, the enlarged session of the “Church and Society” Commission of the European Churches Conference will take place with the invitation of the Scotland Churches. {BR} Since 2004 Hovakim friar Manoukyan represents the Holy Echmiadzin in the ECC the “Church and Society” Commission. Before that the Armenian Apostolic Church was represented by Voskan archbishop Galpakyan. In the coming meeting the works of the...

On the second day of the official visit RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan met in Washington US State Secretary Condoleezza Rice. {BR} A large circle of issues of the Armenian-American agenda was discussed. The sides referred to the dynamically development two-party relations, mentioning that the two countries are leading a healthy political dialogue, and are efficiently cooperating in the commerce...

Today RA NA President Arthur Baghdasaryan had a private conversation with the Lithuanian Parliament President Arturas Paulauskas who is in Armenia on official visit. Besides the private conversation the Lithuanian delegation also met the deputies of several groupings and fraction in the NA. {BR} It is noteworthy that the Presidents of both Parliaments found the cooperation of the Baltic and Southern...

On the invitation of the Director of the COE Ombudsman Committee Pierre Henry Imberg, RA Ombudsman Larissa Alaverdyan left for Strasburg to take part in the international seminar “Defense of Human Rights during the Combat Against Terrorism”. From the 46 member countries of COE only 30 experts have received the invitation to take part in the seminar organized by the COE. {BR} While discussing the...

Today Robert Kocharyan had a working meeting with Labor and Social Affairs Minister Aghvan Vardanyan. {BR} The main issues of the meeting were the old-age pension reforms, poverty and family pensions, and the results of the newly-created Labor State Inspectorate and the introduction of the social cards. Employment issues have also been discussed. According to the Ministry data, since the beginning...

On the first day of the two-day business visit to Washington RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan had several meetings. {BR} He was received by the US President advisor on security issues Steven Hadley. During the meeting the perspectives of the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, as well as the Armenian-Turkish relations were discussed. Steven Hadley was especially interested in...