South African ambassador to Armenia Ashtap Sentso handed credentials to Armenian president Robert Kocharyan on Tuesday.{BR} Necessity of developing cooperation between the two countries was emphasized at the meeting. Speaking on bilateral relations, president Kocharyan attached great importance to upcoming visit of Armenian foreign minister to South Africa. Both sides stressed urgent need of...

On Wednesday, president Kocharyan will fly to Astana, Kazakhstan, to attend the CIS summit.{BR} Prime ministerial and foreign ministerial meetings are to be held hear ahead of the summit. Meeting between Armenian and Azeri presidents is scheduled for Wednesday.

The Armenian Assembly of America commended NATO for its decision to cancel military exercises set to begin in Azerbaijan today after Baku's repeated attempts to bar Armenia's participation. Armenia was among several dozen countries due to take part in the annual exercises, but Azeri officials were clear to point out that they did not want Armenians on their territory. {BR} U.S. General James Jones,...

Today Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan met Secretary General of NATO, Mr. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer in Brussels. The meeting took place on the eve of NATO’s Co-operative Best Effort-2004 exercises that were to be held in Baku. {BR} Both parts expressed concern about the obstacles set by Azerbaijani part to the representatives of Armenia’s Armed Forces. NATO Secretary General informed...

From September 14-16 Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan will partake in the sitting of Council for Government Leaders CIS States in Astana, Kazakhstan. {BR} Issues regarding the coordinating bureau for fighting against organized crime and other dangerous crimes in CIS states, the report on the bureau activity, and the issue on establishing an executive regional group for struggling against...

Armenian National Assembly speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan received U’S newly appointed ambassador to Armenia John Marshall Evans on Friday.{BR} Baghdasaryan wished good luck to the ambassador and said he convinced relations between the two countries would be strengthened.

Teri Gakala, new-appointed Finnish ambassador to Armenia said Friday after handing credential to Armenian president that Finland is interested in cooperation with South Caucasus countries, in particular, with Armenia.{BR} She put great emphasis upon of the fact of including Armenia in the EU New Neighbors program. Both sides stressed the importance of development of entrepreneurial ties and creation of proper legal field for that

President Kocharyan met Friday with ruling coalition parties’ leaders.{BR} The participants of the meeting discussed the issues related to constitutional reforms and the National Assembly’s upcoming session.

On Wednesday, President Kocharyan issued an order on relieving Armenia’s ambassador to NATO Vigen Chitechyan from his duty and appointing Samvel Mkrtchyan to that position,

Before leaving for the airport Iranian President Mohammad Khatami visited Saint Echmiadzin. Iranian President thanked Garegin II, Catholicos of all the Armenians for reception. He also talked about the relations between two countries and the development of them. {BR} During the meeting the role and the mission of the ecclesiastics in the conflict settlements in the region was underlined. By the...

/At today’s sitting of Government/ 127 MILLION DRAMS TO SCIENTISTS To carry out construction in the institutes of National Academy of Sciences in Armenia Government has allotted 127 million drams. {BR} The sum will be directed to reconstruction of the heating networks, water supply and sewerage systems of the buildings for Mathematics, Mechanics, History, Geology, Art and Oriental Studies’...

Armenian ARF delegation has met Seyed Mohammad Khatami, President of Iranian Islamic Republic. {BR} ARF Bureau Representative Hrant Margaryan welcomed the visit of Iranian President to Armenia, underlining the importance of it for not only development of Armenian-Iranian relations but also for the regional policy. Mr. Margaryan voiced confidence the visit symbolizes a new stage for the century-old...

After welcoming ceremony Iranian president Seyed Mohammad Khatami was received by Armenian president Robert Kocharyan. A wide range of Armenian-Iranian relations was discussed at the meeting. The presidents exchange their views on regional and international issues.{BR} An agreement between Armenia and Iran was signed during enlarged talks that followed the presidents’ tete-a-tete meeting. The...

Azerbaijan’s seven opposition leaders, who were arrested after presidential elections, came up with a statement.{BR} First of all, they propose to declare an amnesty for all political prisoners. The second part of their proposals relates to democratisation of governing institutions. The third group of proposals does with Karabakh conflict. The statement authors offer to set up a consultation...

Iranian officials’ delegation headed by Iran’s president Seyed Mohammad Khatami arrived Wednesday in Yerevan. Armenian PM Andranik Margaryan and other top officials welcomed the guests at Yerevan’s airport.{BR} Armenian premier is set to meet Iranian president on Wednesday. Economic and political cooperation between the two countries as well as trade ties and implementation of regional...

In the beginning of October the trial over the foreigners, including the Armenian pilots accused of coup d'etat will resume in Equatorial Guinea. According to Armenian Ambassador to Egypt Sergey Manasaryan who returned from Equatorial Guinea the other day, no testimony or evidence over participation of the Armenian pilots in the so-called overturn has been produced at the legal proceedings. {BR} ”This...

A somber memorial service for 330 people killed in Beslan was held Sunday at St. Echmiadzin, the key cathedral of Armenian Apostolic Church.{BR} The Church leader Garegin II sent a message of sorrow to Russian president Vladimir Putin, Russian Patriarch Alexi II and North Ossetia’s president A. Zasokhov.

Iranian president Seyed Mohammad Khatami is to visit to Armenia Wednesday at president Kocharyan’s invitation. After tete-a-tete meeting between the two presidents, Armenian-Iranian talks will begin that are to be followed by a joint news-conference.{BR} The Iranian president will commemorate the Armenian killed by Ottoman Turks between 1915 and 1920 by lying flowers at Yerevan’s genocide...

Armenian prime minister Andranik Margaryan sent Monday condolences to his Russian counterpart Mikhail Fradkov on tragic events in Beslan, North Ossetia. On behalf of Armenian government, he expressed "deep regret and sympathy with the victims of the horrible terrorist act committed in Beslan". "We share your grief and ask to convey our condolences to the victims’ families", the message says.

On Thursday, Armenian president Robert Kocharyan congratulated Karabakhi president Arkady Ghukassyan on 13th anniversary of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’s independence. ”Celebrating the Independence Day, we corroborate our devotion to the principles of freedom and democracy. We remain stuck to the idea of peaceful and just solution to Karabakh issue”, Kocharyan said in his message.

Armenian PM Andranik Margaryan addressed a congratulation message to NKR President Arkadi Ghukasyan and Artcakhi people in connection with the 13th anniversary of NKR Independence. {BR} The message particularly says: “ Nagorno Karabakh Republic keeps remaining loyal to the principle of the peaceful settlement of the conflict and is simultaneously full of resoluteness to resist any encroachment...

Today Armenian President Robert Kocharyan congratulated all the teachers, pupils and parents of Armenia on the Day of Knowledge. {BR} ”The new generation possessing a high education quality is the obligatory condition of development of each modern state. Problems in the education sphere are of state importance for us and are brought to focus”, the statement says. President wished the...

During the meeting of state heads of Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council within NATO Summit Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan made a speech. {BR} He expressed confidence NATO’ decision will set new commitments to Turkey, the only NATO-member neighboring country of South Caucasus states. Armenian FM referred to the baseless accusations of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev made at...

The tenth anniversary year of Partnership for Peace, the Heads of State and Government of the 46 member states of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) met today in Istanbul to discuss current security challenges and how they can best meet them. On the basis of the shared values and principles that underlie their cooperation, they recommitted themselves to pursuing the basic objective of their...