Does the draft constitutional amendments adopted in the first reading guarantee freedom of press? Should freedom of press be fixed in the constitution? Won’t the Presinent’s absolute right of forming commissions including the NCTR become sword of Damocles for TV companies. We asked President of the Yerevan Press Club Boris Navasardyan and chairman of the Associating of Investigatong Journalists...

Article 24 of the acting Constitution says, “Everyone is entitled for to freedom of speech, including the freedom to seek, receive and disseminate information and ideas through any medium of information, regardless of state borders.” This proves that mass media should be free and independent, however the Constitution does not guarantee it. “The existence of an independent National...

The times when intractable journalists were threatned with violence and pressure. Today they are influenced upon in a «lawful way». In the words of National Unity faction secretary Alexan Karapetyan the draft constitutional amendments adopted in the first reading does not secure freedom of mass media. «For foreigners Robert Kocharyan is a democrat but within his country he is a tyrant», he says. Though...

Not long ago Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan stated that our press is free more than it is needed. Human rights activist Vardan Harutyunyan considers that Serge Sargsyan confuses two notions – freedom and aggressiveness of press. “Free press in the press that functions in free society, where each word or thought finds response. If New York Times writes that a senator has taken a bribe,...

The freedom of speech in Armenia is guaranteed by the Constitution. “Everyone is entitled to freedom of speech”, Article 24 of the Constitution says. Is press free in Armenia? We addressed 100 citizens with this question June 4-9. “Press in not free either in Armenia or any other country”, one of the respondents said. 52% agreed with this opinion. “Is Armenia a free...

Today RA NA President Arthur Baghdasaryan received the delegation of Turhan Chomez, deputy of the Turkish Parliament. The delegation comprised of journalists and social bodies. {BR} During the meeting issues about the present state of the Armenian-Turkish relations and the perspectives of development were discussed. The sides confirmed their readiness to contribute to the development of relations...

Today the party «New Times» invited the political powers to represent them the draft defending the Ombudsman. Those invited were offered two drafts, where the main idea was as follow, «We strictly condemn any encroachment towards the Ombudsman Institute which is the visiting card of the democratic countries. We consider it another intervention of the criminal elements into the political processes»....

«We have a common culture», said doctor Turhan Chomez, deputy of the Turkish Parliament during the meeting with the Yerevan State University professors and students. Doctor Chomez is the youngest deputy in Turkey, member of the governing «Fairness and Development» party, and is the advisor and assistant of the Prime Minister Rejeb Taip Erdoghan. He explained his visit to Armenia by his desire «to make a step in the Armenian-Turkish relations»....

The orientation of the «Heritage» party will proceed from the profits of Armenia. Raffi Hovannisian made this announcement today answering the question why in all the ex-soviet countries the foreign policy is oriented to the West. {BR} Is it possible for Armenia to be oriented to the NATO as a result of democratic reforms? Mr. Hovannisian said that there is no intention to become member of the NATO,...

Leader of the «Republican» party Aram Sargsyan is in the USA and according to the party members has already had meetings with the officials of the US State Department and the staff of the US President assistant on National Security affairs. {BR} In connection with this visit Raffi Hovannisyan said that the visits show not Aram Sargsyan's will but the desire of the US Administration to meet not only...

The “Heritage” party is not against constitutional reforms, although at present they negatively evaluate the draft adopted in the Parliament by the first reading, voicing hope that the draft will be reformed before the second reading. {BR} That is, the members of the «Heritage» party do not share the desire of the opposition to turn the constitutional referendum to a confidence one. Member of...

“The Party “Heritage” has authorized me to start a number of inter-party meetings which will include not only famous names – Aram Sargsyan, Hovhannes Hovhannisyan, but also the whole specter of the political field, both oppositional and pro-governmental”, said today Raffi Hovannisian, President of the Party “Heritage” about the pro-western format of the three parties. “We will meet with everybody, but we will not go to their offices,...

The Council of Europe Commission for Democracy through Law ("Venice Commission"), which this year marks its 15th anniversary, will hold its 63rd plenary session in Venice on 10 and 11 June (Scuola Grande di San-Giovanni Evangelista). {BR} On the session agenda are the examination of a number of important legal texts from different countries, and the adoption of several opinions. The Commission will,...

Armenian Deputy Minister of Trade and Economic Development Ara Petrosyan stated today that 1 billion 677 million AMD was allocated for the development of the town of Tsaghkadzor. {BR} The government intends to use the funds for advertising the town via the European TV Channels, equipping the infrastructures with modern means and settling some social and economic problems. In part, water pipes and...

50 Armenian ministerial officials discussed with the foreign experts the development of electronic procurement in Armenia. The seminar was initiated by the RA Government and supported by the USAID. {BR} The discussions focused at the possibility of state procurements at minimal expenses. In 2003 the government received a $50000 grant from the World bank for the development of electronic procurement....

Day.az exclusive interview with OSCE Minsk Group former Russian Co-Chair Vladimir Kazimirov {BR} -What can you say about the current state of negotiations as a diplomat aware of the details of the Karabakh conflict? -This is why the settlement of this conflict is vital both for Azerbaijan and Armenia, and especially for Nagorno Karabakh. However, do those contacts though on a high level correspond...

According to the data provided by the UN, about 1000 Armenian women work as prostitutes in the United Arab Emirates and Turkey, at that most of them fell victims to trafficking. The Armenian government attempts to achieve the standards of extirpation of the trafficking of people, however not very successful so far. {BR} Last year Armenia was included in the 2-ng category of states under observation....

During the last session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly spring session the Armenian delegates had to counter-attack the Azeri delegation suchlike comments, “We highly appreciate the latest constructive meeting Kocharyan-Aliev where the issue of the return of the 7 territories has actually been solved”. {BR} What is most interesting is that the counter-attacker was not a coalition deputy but...

Leader of the Progressive Party Tigran Urikhanyan held a press conference today to inform the journalists that they will join the Justice Party. By the way, the party has nothing to do with the Justice bloc. Tigran Urikhanyan announced that they carry out negotiations to join the left-socialist powers. {BR} Tigran Urikhanyan also informed that they will create a union of national-patriotic powers...

The usual meeting of the Armenian and Azeri Foreign Ministers will take place on June 17 in Paris. During the meeting 7-9 important issues will be discussed. The Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov has made an announcement about it. {BR} “We think we can reach agreement about some issues, and others we know are extremely complicated. We must discuss all the issues”, said the Azeri Foreign...

“Corruption is a malignant growth of our society” chairman of the Youth Party of Armenia Sargis Sargsyan stated when informing about the formation of one more anti-corruption organization – the Youth Anti-Corruption Center of Armenia. {BR} 180 members will combat corruption in the education system. “These young people will work devotedly and honestly”, he assured adding...

On June 7, a joint session of the permanent commissions of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic National Assembly with the participation of Government members took place, at which the report on the execution of the NKR state budget for 2004 was presented.{BR} Explanations in various spheres were given by NKR Minister of Town-Building Boris Alaverdian, Chief of the State Tax Service under the Government...

Council of Europe Monitoring Committee rapporteurs Andreas Gross and Andres Herkel will submit the report entitled “Functioning of Democratic Institutes in Azerbaijan” to the PACE summer session to be held in Strasbourg June 20-24. {BR} The draft resolution says that PACE views the coming parliamentary elections as a “decisive test”, since the latest elections held in the country...

At its June 7 meeting in Lisbon the Assembly Bureau proposed that PACE hold two urgent debates at its next plenary session (20-24 June 2005), one on follow-up to the third Council of Europe Summit and the other on constitutional reform in Armenia, as well as a current affairs debate on the situation in the republics of Central Asia. {BR}