“Armenia must deprive Russia of the possibility to control the work of the nuclear power station, and compensate the losses by the costs of power”, according to the head of the People’s Party and the TV Company ALM Tigran Karapetyan, this will be a deserved counter-blow to Russia for the gas policy. {BR} The head of the Constitutional Right Union Hrant Khachatryan debated with Tigran Karapetyan in the “Mirror” club about the change of the...

The arrangement of Kocharyan-Aliev meeting has been gained between Armenia’s and Azerbaijan’s Secretaries of Foreign Affairs Vardan Oskanyan and Elmar Mamedyarov with participation of OSCE Minsk group Co-Chairs.{BR} The negotiations started yesterday and continued during the whole day finishing at about 20:30. The exact date of the meeting is not mentioned yet.

«For us, at least, the meaning to act in 17 format is exhausted and we ask to consider us out of it», leader of Conservative party Michael Hayrapetyan said in the letter to «Intelligents' forum».{BR} The letter-statement, in particular, says: “A. In the struggle on constitutional reforms people of Armenia, though showed unanimous will boycotting the referendum, was defeated by the authorities as a result of non-corresponding actions of...

One of the questions addressed to the CoE Committee of Ministers at the winter session of PACE concerns Armenian khachkars destroyed in Nakhichevan.{BR} The author of the question was Shavarsh Qocharyan, who is not a PACE delegate any longer. Mr. Qocharyan suggests sending inspection mission to Jugha to prepare a report on demolished historical and cultural not only Armenian but world values. «For...

There's even an intention to raise the question in the UNO Security Council The social committee controlling legality of the referendum has prepared а brochure titled «Referendum 2005» where violations during the referendum are minutely presented. It’s stressed there that violations had been organized by the authorities and members of observing mission, and by Kocharyan himself. «He voted by show, held a press conference at the three...

Today at the building of the government Dalma gardens' farmers organized another protest action. The aim was restoration of rights on the leasehold garden-plots. This right is confirmed by both Civil and Land Codes.{BR} The farmers threaten if this time their demands are not taken into consideration they will not only organize similar actions but burn themselves. As usual already ex-dwellers of Byusand street joined the protest action.

“Armenia ignores human rights” Although the international community continued in 2005 to look favorably on Armenia for its economic performance, the government has failed to improve its human rights record.{BR} The crackdown on opposition parties and supporters in 2004 led to fewer public demonstrations in 2005, and, consequently, less overt government pressure on the opposition. However, the...

«The best peace-keeper can be the army of Karabakh» , announced the NKR Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan reminding that peace is preserved thanks to that very army. {BR} He mentioned that the Karabakh army is ready to protect the country in case of any forceful encroachments. And in case they are not forceful, the army will not take any step contradicting the security of the people. The Minister...

Today in London the negotiations of the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict started. The SOCE Minsk group co-chairs Steven Mann (USA), Yuri Merzlyakov (Russia) and Bernard Fassier (France) met the RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan and the Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov separately. Late in the evening a joint meeting will take place. No other details are given.

The Parliamentary opposition has started a process of creating an ad-hoc Parliamentary committee investigating the results of the Constitutional Referendum. “We will ask the next President now to swear on this Constitution before we do something”, representative of the Justice bloc to the Central Electoral Committee Felix Khachatryan said. {BR} The opposition has almost finished to sum up the...

Today the sitting of Justice bloc took place. Leaders of NDP and NDU Shavarsh Qocharyan and Vazgen Manoukyan were not present at the meeting.{BR} As Mr. Manoukyan marked their absence has only technical reasons, «he learnt about the hour of the sitting too late». Leader of «Hanrapetoutyun» party Aram Sargssyan didn't take part in the sitting either, the party was presented by member of political...

UNO Food and Agriculture organization (FAO) has already raised the alarm that bird flu may have passed Turkey's borders.{BR} Despite this health protection institutions haven't got any exact instructions from the ministry coordinating their work. Head of Polyclinic 3 Samvel Haroutyunyan says it won't be strange if our doctors have difficulty in finding first symptoms of bird flu. «Even the best...

The Security Council met on January 16th to hear a briefing by the Chairman-in-Office of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).{BR} Among the priorities for the Belgian Chairmanship of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) was institutional reform, seeking a better balance between the various dimensions of its approach to security, promoting the rule...

During the London meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as during their meeting with the OSCE Minsk group co-chairs no draft agreement about the Karabakh conflict will be discussed. The OSCE Minsk group Russian co-chair Yuri Merzlyakov has informed the Azeri Trend agency about it. {BR} Speaking about the London meeting on January 18-19, the diplomat has informed that...

The usual meeting of the opposition in the “17+1” format will take place on January 27. The opposition has not yet informed the Yerevan municipality about the coming meeting. The Republican party will probably be the initiator of the meeting. {BR} “The only way out for the Republican party is revolt. We look upon revolution as the only ways of change of authorities”, member of the political council of the party Artak Zeynalyan informed...

Sabina Fraser representing the International Crisis Group announced recently that the Armenian side is ready to free the security zone of its armed forces without waiting for the final decision about the international status of Nagorno Karabakh. In connection with this announcement the Center of Armenian Civic Initiatives and 9 Parliamentary and non-Parliamentary parties, NGOs have sent a letter...

The issue of the RA Ombudsman will no be discussed in tomorrow’s session of the Justice bloc. There's something more urgent to be discussed tomorrow: the «A1+» correspondent learned from the bloc that tomorrow the session will sum up the results of the collection of signatures in connection with the referendum. The next day the members of the bloc will render a press conference about the results....

According to economist Edward Aghajanov, the international ways of communication have turned into those of pressure. Mr. Aghajanov considers Armenia’s exclusion from the oil-pipeline program Baku-Tbilisi Ceyhan a serious problem. {BR} “Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan become serious factors in the region. The most important companies of the world are included into the oil-pipeline program. The Azeri President Heydar Aliev announced while putting the...

“What does it mean – evolution or revolution? What we say is that we must eliminate the present government; we must not wait for the year 2007, and we must do it as quickly as possible. But we do not say that the change of authorities must be today or tomorrow”, the head of the Justice bloc Stepan Demirchyan said in answer to the question of A1+. {BR} He thinks that the actions of the bloc must be agreed with each other. “All the issues must...

«There are not documents about the settlement of the Karabakh conflict», the Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov said in Baku. He does not think that a document of the kind will be prepared before the January meeting of the Azeri and Armenian Presidents. {BR} Before the meeting, according to Mamedyarov, he must meet his Armenian colleague; at least this is what the co-chairs offered in Baku....

«Difficult situations split the weak and join the strong», said the NA speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan about the events of the passing year. He has decided to be more careful with the journalists in the coming year as it is a pre-election year, and according to him, sometimes the journalists violate the words of a politician, «From now on I will not answer a single question until I read what they have...

During the Armenian-Russian inter Governmental 5th session an agreement has been signed about introducing changes into the protocol about the Russian military bases in Armenia, and the handing of lands and real estate. The document was signed by the head of the RA Armed Forces Main Headquarters Michael Haroutyunyan from the Armenian side and the advisor of the RF Ambassador to Armenia Igor Gromiko....

Next year a “peacekeeping mission” will start in the Karabakh conflict zone, the Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov announced in Baku. {BR} According to him, the issue of agreement upon the peacekeeping mission is one of the nine elements discussed in the negotiation process. It is not yet known what countries will participate in the process and where the forces will be located. The RA...

The RA Ombudsman Larissa Alaverdyan was deeply impressed by the letter of the «Millennium Challenge Corporation» to the RA Government. «The country must not appear in a situation to allow others to treat him that way», the Ombudsman said noticing hints of order in the letter. “They give us the sum with one hand and show us with the other how to earn it”, she said. {BR} HUNGER STRIKE IS NO GUARANTEE FOR SUCCESS There are cases in Armenia...