Today Robert Kocharyan has had a working meeting with Armen Avetisyan, head of the State Tax Committee. The latter has reported about the course of the realization of the orders given by the President during his visit to the Committee at the beginning of the year, and about the work done during January and February. {BR} According to them, if by this time last year 36 cases of smuggling were revealed,...

Today Gegham Gharibjanyan, RA deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, received the delegation headed by Vladimir Rushaylo, head of the CIS Executive Committee and its executive secretary. {BR} V. Rushaylo represented the issues included in the agenda of the session of the CIS Foreign Affairs Ministers Council in Minsk on March 18. During the meeting the parties discussed issues regarding the CIS amendments,...

Today Anthony F. Godfry, US deputy ambassador to Armenia, opened the computer classroom of the Gyoumry State Pedagogical Institute Journalism faculty. The US Embassy has donated 21 computers, more than 100 books about journalism and has reconstructed the classroom. {BR} US deputy ambassador Anthony F. Godfry said to the students and professors, «Professional journalism is one of the main conditions...

Before being re-elected for another 7-year term President of the Central Bank of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan presented the report on the bank activities and responded to the deputies' questions today. {BR} According to the report the CB forced out 15 corrupt commercial banks from the banking system last year. However it caused the problem of new 8000 depositors. The major 141 of them are only registered...

Today Armenian President Robert Kocharyan held a working meeting with Minister of territorial administration and infrastructures coordination Hovik Abrahamyan. {BR} During the conversation the President touched upon the delay of the welfare payments. The Minister explained that it was caused by technical works on clarifying the lists of the beneficiaries in January and February. The parties discussed...

Today the RA Ministry of Justice has made the following announcement, “Many RA Citizens get messages via e-mail from different offices organizing lotteries «operating» abroad. They are told that they have won or may win large sums, making a certain payment. {BR} The last of the letters known to us referred to the Spanish lottery «EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA» The Armenian receiver of the note about the winning had already paid the «organizers»...

On February 26 Robert Kocharyan has signed decrees confirming the 2005 lists of position suitability of RA judges. {BR} By two other decrees signed that very day Tariel Manoukyan, judge of the court of first instance of the Yerevan Shengavit community, has been dismissed from office due to his age, and Nakhshoun Tavaratsyan, judge of the RA economic court, has been appointed member of the RA Justice...

Aram Karapetyan, head of the party «New Times», is meeting heads of different parties. Today he has met Hovhannes Hovhannisyan, head of the Liberal Progressive Party. {BR} «The parties have exchanged ideas about the interpolitical development, referring to the possible unions in the opposition field», informs the press department of the party. Aram Karapetyan “has minutely discussed” the situation in Armenia with Vazgen Manoukyan, head of...

I would like to clarify U.S. policy. Misunderstandings may have arisen as a result of comments made by me during recent informal meetings with Armenian-American groups in the United States regarding the characterization of the Armenian tragedy in Ottoman Turkey and the future status of Nagorno Karabakh. {BR} Although I told my audiences that the United States policy on the Armenian tragedy has not...

On February 23-25 in the Geneva central office of the World Church Council right after the session of the WCC Central Committee a meeting of the ecumenical authorities took place. In this meeting the Holy Echmiadzin was represented by Hovakim friar Manoukyan, and the Kilikia Patriarchate was represented by Narek archbishop Alemezyan. {BR} The Holy Echmiadzin Inter-church relations department informs...

By Robert Kocharyan's decree of February 26 Victor Soghomonyan was appointed Press Secretary of the Armenian President. {BR}

Today Robert Kocharyan has had a working consultation with the members of the government about the construction problems. The President is worried by the fact that this year too the works of design and construction are constantly being delayed. {BR} “Actually, no work is done for months, and starting from May we try to finish the work by the end of the year with an overloaded plan of work, at...

Today RA PM Andranik Margaryan has received Khassan al-Raslan, Ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Arabian Republic of Syria to Armenia, who is finishing his diplomatic mission in Armenia. {BR} During the meeting the parties have gladly mentioned the sufficient level of Armenian-Syrian cooperation in the fields of agriculture, science and education. Andranik Margaryan and Khassan al-Raslan...

Russian and US Presidents Vladimir Putin and George Bush met in Bratislava to discuss urgent issues including discrepancies on the Iraqi issue and problems of democracy development in Russia.{BR} The meeting is taking place in the library of the Bratislava castle. This summit is to conclude the European tour of the US President.

The financial aid to the families of invalid military and of those killed has been increased with 2000 AMD thus making 5000 AMD per month. {BR} According to another decree amendments were also introduced into the resolution on financial assistance to the veterans of the World War II and to the families of those killed during the war. With 1000 AMD raise, the aid will make 3000 and 4500 respectively.

I am glad to hear that relations with Armenia are important for NATO. I would like to note once again that we will abide by the accepted line and constantly develop our relationships. As for Armenia’s participation in various programs, we will work within the limits of our possibilities. Moreover if we did not have the unsettled conflict we would participate in similar programs more actively”,...

Last year's index of the municipal budgets increased with 130 million AMD as compared to 2003. 40% rise was registered in potato and cereals growing and 60% rise was observed in the cattle breeding, Marzpet of Geghankunik Stepan Barseghyan reported at the meeting with Robert Kocharyan today. {BR} To note the growth takes place when Gegharkunik along with other regions suffered from unfavorable weather conditions last year.

Today Armenian President Robert Kocharyan met with Mr. Robert Simmons, NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia. {BR} During the meeting the parties discussed Armenia-NATO cooperation and development of the relationships. They also touched upon regional problems including the Karabakh conflict settlement.

On February 28 the USA State Department will represent his annual report about the state of human rights in the world. 197 countries are included in the document, including Armenia. {BR} USA always uses this report realizing programs in different countries, and processing and establishing his policy towards these countries. After the presentation of national report about 197 countries the State Department...

Today Robert Kocharyan has met the members of the political coalition council. The course of the issues included in the NA agenda has been discussed. A reference has also been done to the draft Election Code and the course of Constitutional amendments.

Today Robert Kocharyan has accepted Renato Bruso, famous Italian opera singer. The singer will have a solo concert in Armenia within the framework of the events to the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. {BR} Renato Bruso has expressed his deep impressions about our capital mentioning that he admires the «Aram Khachatryan» concert hall and our orchestra. He also expressed his regret that he...

Today the program of the events dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide was established. A session of the National Committee of the Events to the 90th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide took place in the Government presided over by PM Andranik Margaryan, head of the Committee. {BR} The program will start in April with an international conference with the motto “21st century...

Tatoul Margaryan, RA Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, has received Ms. Isabelle Barras, head of the Red Cross International Committee Easter Europe Activities. {BR} During the meeting the parties discussed issues about the course of implementation of agreements reached during the February visit of Ms. Beatrice Megevand-Roggo, the RCIC main delegate to European and American countries. Tatoul Margaryan...

Meeting in Geneva from 15-23 February 2005 under the leadership of His Holiness Aram I, the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC), the highest executive body of the Council, completed its work. In addition to 166 voting members, more than 200 observers, consultants and representatives of ecumenical organizations attended the meeting including the official representatives of the Vatican....