Representatives of several youth organizations carried out a political rally – and marched from Opera Square towards the US Embassy in Armenia today. The action was guided by «Baze» union. Main participants were the representatives of youth branches of Republican, RAF and Orinats Erkir parties and NGOs. The main goal was that several youth organizations express their indignation with...

A "No Noon Press Briefing" in Washington was held on January 18th, however, the following clarification of Assistant Secretary Jones's comment on January 13th in a digital video conference with journalists in Moscow has been provided for release in Yerevan: ''U.S. policy with respect to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has not changed. The United States does not recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as an...

European court already adopted petition presented by “Getashen - Shahumyan” union which contains a demand for Azerbaijan to compensate the property of banished citizens and recover the proprietary rights. RA Human Rights defender Larisa Alaverdyan stated that there is no official political estimation on Baku massacre committed against Armenians and transgression of human rights...

Kachik Stambultyan called the implementation of social cards “forced collectivization” and compared it to the mass repressions of 1937. Today, during the meeting of “Nor Hayastan” NGO Kachik Stambultyan expressed his concern with the fact that social services are giving out social cards by force even to the pupils at schools while none of them had presented an enquiry to...

Members of “Artsakh” patriotic union are going to address a letter to US Ambassador to Armenia asking him to explain strange comments on Nagorno Karabakh Republic made by Elizabeth Johns, assistant to US Secretary of State. Armenian MP Hamlet Harutyunyan presented today at parliament to journalists the reason of the discontent and steps to be taken. He was speaking neither as an Armenian...

“The situation in Iraq is difficult and sending a group there was not an easy decision”, said the ambassador of the USA John Evans at the airport after seeing off the Armenian forces to Iraq. He stated that the US government approves of the RA government's decision to send a non-military subdivision as it will contribute to the maintenance of stability and democracy in Iraq. In his address...

This morning the Armenian peacemaking division left for Iraq at Yerevan's “Zvartnots” airport. Our correspondent at the airport reports that the ceremony to see them off was delayed because the aircraft from Kuwait was late: Armenian peacemakers are to undergo training in Kuwait before leaving for Iraq. Forty-six Armenian peacemakers are leaving for Iraq to carry out peacemaking activities...

Sergey Lavrov, Foreign Minister of Russia will arrive in Yerevan on a regional visit. According to Regnum agency, the visit is scheduled for mid-February. Bilateral and regional matters will be discussed during the visit. Lavrov will also visit Georgia on February 18th. Issues concerning withdrawal of Russian military bases from the Georgian territory are expected to be discussed during the visit.

Presidents of USA and Russia will discuss Nagorno Karabakh problem in February. US President George W.Bush will meet with Russian President Vladimir Purin in Slovakian capital Bratislava during his visit to Europe. «Russia is interested in sustainable, corruption-less Transnestria, Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno Karabakh», said Elisabeth Johns, assistant to US State Secretary commenting on...

A young lady living on the fifth floor of a five-storied building in Erebuny district found a stranger in her bedroom at 9am on January 15th. The latter noticed the woman who was going to shout for help told her that he would leave right away if she showed where the balcony was. The young lady had not yet recovered from the shock when she heard a knock on the door, and saw 6-8 armed men were...

The closed-door parliamentary discussion on the issue of dispatching a military group to Iraq is over. Though 23 members of National Assembly voted against, 91 supported the initiative. Thus Armenians will go to Iraq. {BR}

A few minutes ago Armenian lawmakers resumed their closed-door discussion over the issue of dispatching a military group to Iraq.{BR} The discussion is expected to be completed by midnight. Voting is thought to be held tomorrow.

On the eve of New Year, Georgian Samtskhe-Javakhk region’s authorities were ordered to crack down on fir-trees illegal cutting.{BR} Some sources say as many as 1,500 fir-trees are being cut every year there and a great number of them are being brought to Armenia. A-Info news agency says local police is empowered to prevent trees illegal export.

At 14:00 National Assembly resumed its session and before embarking on ratification of the international memorandum signed in Poland, under which Armenia has to dispatch a 50-person military group to Iraq, speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan asked journalists to leave the session room to conduct voting behind closed doors, as it was decided earlier.{BR} Before journalists left the hall opposition MP Victor...

Idea of sending Armenian troops to Iraq is grounded on foreign policy and belongs to Armenian defence minister, who is a politician nursing ambitions to become the republic president, Election Systems center said after careful scrutiny conducted with 32 local, Russian and western experts.{BR} The investigation shows the initiative of sending troops to Iraq can trigger considerable political rearrangements...

On Friday Armenian National Assembly’s session room was crowded as never before. 109 from 131 MPs were present at Friday’s session. Armenian lawmakers gathered to sustain or decline the idea of sending troops to Iraq.{BR} Under the memorandum signed by 20 countries in Poland Armenia has to dispatch a 50-person military group to Iraq. At the very beginning of the session speaker Arthur...

The closed session of Parliament Commission on Foreign Relations took place. Commission Chairman Armen Rustamyan presided over the sitting. {BR} Defence Minister Serj Sargssyan submitted the Mutual Understanding Memorandum on “Management of Multinational Division /Central South/ in Composition of Stabilizing Forces of Iraq and Coordination of Alike Issues” to consideration of MPs. Memorandum...

”People’s Party” will express its stance over the constitutional reforms and the elections of local government in 2005 in Armenia. Party Chairman Tigran Karapetyan announced at the 9th congress that his party has done so much that others could dream of. {BR} Representatives of other parties didn’t reject it or weren’t offended just because they didn’t take part...

Today Ruben Mirzakhanyan, Chairman of Teqeyan Culture Union has said in National Press Club that they have representatives in Arabian countries and aware of the viewpoint of the Armenian Commune on sending a group to Iraq. {BR} According to Mirzakhanyan, the Armenian Commune is against sending an Armenian military group to Iraq, no matter how it is worded. The own standpoint of Mirzakhanyan coincides...

Ruben Mirzakhanyan, ex Chairman of Ramkavar Party of Armenia and the present Chair of Teqeyan Culture Centre thinks he wasn’t mistaken by seconding Robert Kocharyan in 2003. He keeps affirming that he acted correctly backing up Kocharyan. But he accepts that we have a dull Parliament, and we face a parliamentary and not a political and social crisis. {BR} According to Mirzakhanyan, when the...

Armenian foreign minister Vardan Oskanyan received Wednesday representatives of Armenia’s Jewish Community.{BR} The Jews said they had never felt themselves aliens in Armenia and always considered themselves the republic’s full-right citizens. Armenian government and other state institutions create healthy climate for community’s life while some individuals make anti-Jewish statements,...

Memorandum signed by 20 countries in Poland on sending troops to Iraq is waiting for ratification in Armenian parliament.{BR} In the event of approval of the memorandum by the parliament, Armenia will have to dispatch a 50-person military group to Iraq. National Assembly will make its decision on Friday.

Answering a journalist’s question does he find likely resumption of war at the current stage of talks on Karabakh conflict, Armenian foreign minister Vardan Oskanyan said no.{BR} However, he added his opinion wasn’t sufficient to prevent the war from being resumed. He also said Azerbaijan is unlikely to take advantages from it.

Armenian National Assembly has already received Venetian Commission’s summary of three bills on constitutional reforms.{BR} One of these three bills is worked out by the ruling coalition, the second by United Labour Party and the third by opposition-minded MP Arshak Sadoyan. Venetian Commissions all proposals and remarks apply to all three bills submitted for the Commission consideration....