“We have had significant progress in the settlement of the Karabakh conflict and we can expect to have achievements in 2006”, with this announcement the RA Foreign Minister disagreed with the NKR President. {BR} After the meeting with the OSCE Minsk group co-chairs Arkadi Ghoukasyan had announced that we are still far away from the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. Vardan Oskanyan expressed...

The Armenian Embassy to Tehran received an alarming call from the Iranian diocese of the Armenian Church. According to them, a number of Azeri soldiers invaded the cemetery of Old Juga near the banks of the river Arax and started to break with heavy hammers the Armenian khachkars which are left after similar vandalisms by the Azeris in 2002. {BR} The Embassy gets information about the continuous breaking...

The last meeting of the united opposition will take place December 16 at 4 p.m. The Democratic Party of Armenia finds it inexpedient to continue the rallies at the current stage but it is not ruled out that the DPA and Stepan Demirchyan will take part in the rally. {BR} Leader of the National Democratic Union Vazgen Manukyan will also attend the meeting however he hold the opinion that the continuation...

In 2006 we expect fresh enthusiasm and efficiency based upon the agreements achieved in 2005 in the Karabakh conflict settlement process, OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs stated at a news conference today. {BR} The joint statement says in part, “The present promising circumstances created within the negotiation framework more than ever demand fulfillment of all the armistice conditions at the contact line.” When answering the journalists’ questions...

The Armenian woman, who early this months crossed the border with Azerbaijan, was repatriated yesterday with the assistance of the International Committee of the Red Cross. {BR} By suggestion of the Armenian and Azeri authorities the ICRC performed the mediating role and assisted the repatriation after the delegates made sure she returns on her own will. To note, since the beginning of the activities...

According to the RA law “On Town Planning” the executive body ratified the main project of the city of Yerevan for 2005-2006. {BR} The Mayor of Yerevan was ordered to elaborate and submit to discussion of the government the program of principal measures for the implementation of the project. Taking into account that the Year of Armenia will be conducted in France and Russia in 2006 the government...

Robert Kocharyan received the OSCE Minsk group co-chairs Yuri Merzlyakov (Russian), Steven Mann (USA) and Bernard Fassier (France). The personal representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-person Anjey Kasprshik also participated in the meeting. {BR} The process of settling the Karabakh conflict and the perspective of the meeting of the RA and Azeri Presidents were discussed.

Member of the Justice bloc Arshak Sadoyan rendered a press conference to announce that his calls on the opposition to create a group of 15 thousand tough guys. He continues to claim that the strategy of the opposition - to strengthen each party by itself, is wrong. He claims that they must jointly create a strong group of fighters. {BR} According to Sadoyan, his offer is not accepted by the opposition...

After the one-hour meeting of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs with the NKR President Arkadi Ghoukasyan in the NKR representation in Yerevan the Russian co-chair, Ambassador Yuri Merzlyakov announced that he has nothing to tell the journalists. “No we must go on to the RA President. Today we will answer only the questions of the journalists from Karabakh”. In fact, there were no journalists from Karabakh. {BR} The journalists from Armenia only...

Tomorrow in Budapest the case of RA AF officer Gurgen Margaryan’s murder will be heard. On this occasion RA Human Rights Defender Larisa Alaverdyan addressed Parliamentary Ombudsman of Hungary Barnabas Lenkovich with a letter.{BR} In the letter she expresses assurance that the issue of the brutal murder of the Armenian officer Gurgen Margarian committed in Budapest February 19 by the Azeri serviceman,...

Central election committee spread information today as regards complaints of representatives of “17+1” union on violations during constitutional referendum.{BR} The comittee also advised the opposition «to read RA Electoral Code paying attention especially to the 5-th paragraph of 40-th article, according to which the decisions of electIonl committee actions or inaction of election comittee and/or its members may be appealed against after...

Discords among the deputies of «Orinats Yerkir» and RPA fractions were the main subject today of RPA deputy Armen Ashotyan's press-conference.{BR} Especially bellicose he was towards “OY” deputies Hovhannes Margaryan and Samvel Balasanyan. Mr. Ashotyan was irritated by the above mentioned deputies’ appearance on one of the TV channels. These appearances were described by A. Ashotyan as “a soap opera with low-rated circus items”. To...

On December 15 in Paris the PACE Monitoring Committee session will take place. The agenda of the session is already known. During the session the following issues will be discussed: the draft resolution of the report about the course of honoring of obligations and commitments by Georgia; the report about the course of the November 27 Constitutional referendum in Armenia; and the report of the CE co-reporters...

RA Ombudsman Larissa Alaverdyan was seriously concerned by the pressures exercised upon journalists lately. She was also worried about the position of Armenia in the reputation list of the «Reporters without Borders» in which Armenia has lost 23 points in comparison to last year's statistics. {BR} «Attacks, several corporal injuries, violations, hindering the work of the journalists and their arrest...

The 5th of January will be the last day of the RA Ombudsman Larissa Alaverdyan’s office. As she herself said, Mrs. Alaverdyan has decided to prepare her annual report more quickly. In this connection the Ombudsman has met the RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan. {BR} “I asked the Prime Minister to warn the heads of all the structures to answer our letters. In this year’s report we are going...

Today the Yerevan City Administration authorized the meeting to be held by opposition December 16 by the initiative of Hanrapetutyun party. {BR} To note, senior specialist of the organization department of the city administration Albert Karapetyan was ordered to attend the rally, which will be held December 16, at 4 p.m.

The referendum proved that the power in Armenia is concentrated in the hands of a group of people. Unwritten laws reign in the country. The international norms suppose secret voting while according to Kocharian’s law the voting becomes open,” coordinator of the mission formed for controlling the legality of the referendum Ruben Torosyan said. {BR} He stated that 7 members of the Central Electoral...

Armenia-EU Troika meeting was held in Brussels today. The Armenian delegation was led by FM Vartan Oskanian. The European delegation was led by EU Secretary General, Honorary Commissioner for Foreign Policy and Security Javier Solana. European Commission Deputy Director for Foreign Relations, EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Heikki Talvitie, as well as UK Special Representative...

Today Deputy Minister of Trade and Economic Development Gevorg Vardanyan and economist Eduard Aghadjanov argued on the possible rise in prices for gas and its consequences. {BR} The government representative considers that its too early to raise the question yet. He stressed that even if Russia raises the price for the gas imported to Armenia the government will never allow abrupt fluctuations, the...

The Azerbaijani delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe will take part in the Winter Session in renewed composition. Azerbaijanis are convinced that the new composition of the delegation is not weaker than the previous one. {BR} According to Samed Seidov, the delegation comprises mature parliamentarians. “We hope the delegation will secure Azerbaijani’s interests in the...

Today the RA Government special session took place presided over by the RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan. {BR} The Government has decided to offer the RA NA President to convene a special session on December 15 at midday to discuss about 40 draft laws which have won the approval of the RA Government. According to the RA Law on Holidays, the Government has decided to move the working day January 3 to January 8 (Sunday).

Today the session of the Justice bloc made a decision to replace the representative of the bloc to the Armenian delegation to PACE by the head of the bloc Stepan Demirchyan. {BR} The decision was unanimous; Shavarsh Kocharyan did not participate in the voting. Aram G. Sargsyan, Vazgen Manoukyan and Aram Z. Sargsyan were absent from the session. Secretary of the People's Party Grigor Haroutyunyan...

Based on the mild evaluation of the results of the Constitutional referendum by the European observers, the opposition predicts that in 2006 there will be pressure upon Armenia to solve the Karabakh conflict not in favor of Armenia. We tried to find out the point of view of the NA deputy speaker Tigran Torosyan. - I think that supposed commerce is absurd – we will treat you mildly and you will...

Today the RA Court of Cassation organized a discussion titled «The RA Court system after the Constitutional Referendum» together with the USAID. The discussion was presided over by the head of the Court of Cassation Hovhannes Manoukyan. {BR} He told those present that after the adoption of the Constitutional amendments the court system will undergo serious changes. In particular, there will be two court instances – Court of the First Instance...