On June 14, European Union’s Foreign Relations Council decided to include three South Caucasus countries in the EU European Neighborhood Initiative.{BR} On Friday, European Commission Delegation Attache Jaque Vantom and German Ambassador to Armenia Hans-Voulf Bartels, who is also the EU representative, speaking at a news conference in Yerevan said each of the countries would be given the same...

National Press Club chair and Ambion newspaper editor-in-chief Narine Mkrtchyan speaking at a news conference today said Armenian newspapers’ key unsolved problem is lack of touch with the community.{BR} In her opinion, to speed up economic growth “we need to make our newspapers truly independent”. “Nowadays, newspapers in the republic are politicised. That has pernicious...

”We haven’t yet offered suggestions to the sides”, USA Ambassador to Armenia John Ordway officially refuted the rumors that OSCE Minsk Group American Co-Chair Steven Mann had put forward suggestions over Karabakhi conflict settlement at his visit to Armenia. {BR} According to Mr. Ordway, it’s now early to speak about the final regulation of the conflict. He assured he didn’t...

There were not so many provincial residents at the rally. The local authorities resort to the tactic of intimidation. Ahead of the event the opposition supporters are being called to police stations and warned about heavy consequences of their participation in an event.{BR} It is remarkable that there were abundant cameras at the rally. It has been noticed that these cameras didn’t belonged...

The opposition activists declared at the rally that the first stage of power transition had come to an end.{BR} In their words, the authorities have broken the rules of the game, that’s why the opposition is left with no option but to reconsider these rules and set new ones.

Trial of Armenian Democratic Party member Lavrenti Kirakosyan arrested on drug charges remained uncompleted today.{BR} Eight witnesses testified before the court. In their words, law enforcement officers intimidated some witnesses to prevent them from appearing before the court and giving testimonies. The trial will continue tomorrow.

Today’s rally was quite brief. People Party leader Stepan Demirchyan said the municipality had authorized the rally to mislead the PACE monitoring group and show that everything is o.k. in Armenia.{BR} Republic party leader Aram Sargssyan speaking at the rally said people will be informed about the date of the next rally in two days ahead of it. In his words, the next rally will have larger scale and new strength.

It became known the authorities did take proper precautions to be on the safe side. Vehicles and soldiers were brought close to the site where the opposition rally goes but they are carefully hidden in nearby backyards.{BR}

Republic party members Aramazd Zakaryan and Lyova Eghiazaryan came Wednesday to Prosecutor’s Office obeying the summons received Tuesday.{BR} They are charged with contempt of court. According to the charge, they showed no due respect for the court during Tigran Naghdalyan murder trial, in particular, when the verdict was delivered. Aramazd Zakaryan refused to speak saying the trumped-up charge...

The rally outside Matenadaran museum has already started.{BR} Armenian People Party leader Stepan Demirchyan spoke at the rally. He said the republic authorities are pursuing misleading policy trying to prove that there is no dictatorship in Armenia. He said power transition was a time-taking process and assured the rally participants that the opposition would remain stuck to its principles.

It is known that the opposition Wednesday’s rally has been authorised by Yerevan municipality. It is the first time the municipality has authorised an opposition-staged rally.{BR} Neither barbed wire nor legions of soldiers are seen today in Yerevan’s streets. This time Baghramyan Avenue is open and atmosphere calm.

Lavrenti Kirakosyan stood trial Wednesday in the first instance court of Armenia’s Armavir region. {BR} He was arrested after active participation in opposition-staged rallies and drug chargeas were brought to him. The trial is under way now.

Hearing of New Times party leader Aram Karapetyan’s suit against National Unity party chair Artaches Geghamyan and MP Alexan Karapetyan continued on Wednesday. The suit has been filed over libelous statements made by above-mentioned persons that damaged Aram Karapetyan’s dignity.{BR} The plaintiff’s attorney in the trial Levon Baghdasaryan said that Artashes Geghamyan and Alexan...

Armenian tennis player Sarkis Sargssyan was defeated by Olivie Rokhus 3-6, 3-6 at the 1st round of international tournament in England.{BR} So far Armenian tennis player performed bad in many international tournaments and reached maximum the 2nd round.

Freedom for Political Prisoners long-term protest action organizers will gather Wednesday outside the Prosecutor General Office for the last time. The last political prisoners will stand trial Wednesday. Human rights activists think it is senseless to gather here. They intend to be present at another political prisoner Lavrenti Kirakossyan’s trial in Armenian province of Armavir.

World Bank has announced about its intention to provide financial support to a number of assistance projects for Armenia focused on improving living conditions in the republic by means of creating new jobs and making business environment more favorable for development.{BR} Special attention will be paid to rural areas development. The WB says the amount is likely to reach 220 million USD. “Despite...

Communists Khoen Sargssyan, Norik Petrosyan and Sanatruk Sahakyan wrote an application to the plenum of central committee of Communist Party on leaving the leadership. The prominent figures of Communist Party explain their decision that the party elite is corrupted, so they don’t want to be in the same party with such a party elite that demands $ 2000 to enroll its active secretary in the...

Representatives of various social organizations have today assembled near the General Office of Prosecutor demanding to release the political prisoners. {BR} To this very day the participants of the action have gathered about 9.000 signatures. Extra 460 have been collected today. There are people who are interested in the action, but they refuse signing the documents. The trial of Lavrenti Kirakosyan...

Artarutyun opposition bloc’s Press-Secretary Ruzan Khachatryan said Monday Yerevan municipality had authorized a rally scheduled for coming Wednesday.{BR} This is the first time the municipality has given its authorization to an opposition-staged rally. Before that, the opposition has been repeatedly denied authorization. The opposition activists explain such a precipitous shift in the authorities...

The case against Suren Surenyants, a member of Republic opposition party charged with making seditious calls and insulting the authorities’ representative, who were released from pretrial detention recently, was dismissed on Monday because of “change in situation”.{BR}

PACE Monitoring Commission member Yerzi Yaskernia, who arrived Friday night in Yerevan to see how much Armenia has accomplished in complying with the PACE resolution demands, has met with parliamentary groups and fractions as part of his mission.{BR} Yerzi Yaskernia wanted to hear opinions about confidence referendum. The referendum couldn’t be conducted as it contradicts Armenia’s...

Though National Assembly is now in recess, a new-elected Armenian lawmaker Vahe Hakobyan, who is Zangezur Mining company executive director and Armenian Republican party member, has joined it.{BR} He was the only candidate run for the seat. The constituency’s electoral commission says 21,759 people cast their votes for the candidate while 227 voters were against him. As many as 22,346 of...

The Venice Commission, in the course of its plenary session in Venice on 18 and 19 June, will adopt an important opinion on the autonomous status of Adjara within Georgia. The request for the opinion was submitted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 26 May 2004.{BR} Other opinions on the agenda concern a number of laws in different member states, including: the law on...

Five projects approved by Azeri-Georgian intergovernmental commission will be signed on Monday and Tuesday in Tbilisi as part of Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliev visit in Georgia, Internet newspaper day.az reports.{BR} Agreements on railway transport, tax structures, aviation and cooperation in energy industry field are to be signed. Aliev is expected to have a tete-a-tete meeting with his Georgian...