Georgian Parliament Speaker Nino Burdzhanadze left for Batumi to meet Adzharia leader Aslan Abashidze. National Security Minister Zurab Adeishvili departed for Batumi with her. {BR} ”We will talk with Abashidze about the problems between Tbilisi and Batumi, which are to be settled without fail”, Nino Burdzhanadze said. The official Batumi doesn’t exclude that negotiations with...

Today, during National Assembly’s traditional hour of announcement, “Justice” bloc MP Aram Sargssyan spoke on Agarak copper works sold to U.S. Consal Company, as he said, “for peanuts”. He said raw materials are very expensive on world market.{BR} Another parliamentarian Manuk Gasparyan said the authorities carry out privatization to fill their own pockets.

President Kocharyan said Tuesday he hope Tbilisi and Batumi will settle their problems peacefully, through negotiations.{BR} He told journalists he has said the same to Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili during his recent visit to Armenia.

President Kocharyan along with Defense Minister Serge Sargssyan and other high-ranking officials visited military academy on Tuesday. After the visit Kocharyan told journalists he attached special importance to the academy.

MP Manuk Gasparyan asked Alexan Harutyunyan, the chair of the directorial board of the state-owned Public Radio and Television Company, after the latter presented the 2003 report on the company’s activity to Armenian lawmakers, why the company possesses several broadcasting frequencies while A1+ Company is stripped of its license.{BR} “Wouldn’t it be better to give three hours to...

Today, Alexan Harutyunyan, the chair of the directorial board of the state-owned Public Radio and Television Company, presented the 2003 report on the company’s activity to Armenian lawmakers in favorable and cozy environment created by absence of the opposition MPs who keep boycotting parliamentary sessions.{BR} Alexan Harutyunyan found the company’s activity successful putting great...

Unprotected section of Georgian Armenians-dominated territory of Javakhk along Georgian-Turkish border arouses concern. More vulnerable spot is Akhalkalaki province’s village of Kartsakh sitting in immediate vicinity to the border.{BR} In recent months, when Georgian border checkpoint began receiving electric power from Turkish checkpoint, Turkey’s citizens were given right to cross...

Curdistan Committee representative Heydar Ali came up with a statement Tuesday saying Curds are always ready for war. He called on the world governments not to underestimate their capability.{BR} The Curd movement activist said on March 12 a group of Arabs attacked Curds in Syrian town of Gamishlu. 1 hundred people were killed and 1 thousand wounded in the incident, 2 thousand were arrested, Heydar...

As customs point Sarpi of Autonomous Republic of Ajaria is closed on Georgian President’s order cargo transportation from Turkey to South Caucasus will be carried out only through Vale’s checkpoint.{BR} A-Info news agency doesn’t rule out that Kars-Potskhov road led to Vale will be closed because of bad weather.

National Assembly members began their Tuesday’s session with voting on some bills that had been discussed yesterday. All the bills were approved by the vote and legislators embarked on other issues included in the agenda.{BR} Deputy Defense Minister submitted amendments to the Disciplinary Punishment for Servicemen regulation to lawmakers. The bill is worked out in correspondence with new...

The long-awaited sitting of “Justice” Bloc took place. The headquarters on coordinating the actions for power change led by Viktor Dallakyan introduced the suggestions on terms and scripts for implementing power change. {BR} The Bloc is unanimous that power change is to be carried out at the end of March, by April 15 since the term of Constitutional Court decision is drawing on that time....

European Union delegates have today met Parliament Speaker Arthur Baghdarayan and groups and parties in Parliament. {BR} Mrs Ursula Schleicher, European Parliament member, Chair of Commission for Relations with Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan and the delegations of the Parliamentary Cooperation Committee met the members of Opposition parties. Stepan Demirchyan, Albert Bazeyan and Shavarsh Kocharyan...

The 6th sitting of European Union-Armenia parliamentary cooperation committee started today in Parliament. Parliament Speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan, Germany Ambassador to Armenia Hans Wolff Bartelz, Head of the European Commission Delegation Torben Holtze and European Union Ambassadors were present for the sitting. {BR} When making a speech Arthur Baghdasaryan reminded that Armenia pursued the policy...

Parliament Speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan announced that Parliament had made a decision to welcome activity of the commission studying the potentials for returning the people’s deposits in Armenian saving banks, and to set a task to elaborate a bill on deposit returning by November. {BR} The above decision was put to voting and was passed by 89 pros, 0 cons and 1 abstaining.

The ultimatum deadline issued by Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili to the Adzharia Authorities is drawing on today at 11:30 PM. {BR} Adzharia leader Aslan Abashidze in his turn addressed the international public, including the region states calling to cease the force pressure by Tbilisi. It is to remind that the tensed relations between Batumi and Tbilisi have threatened to turn into conflict...

Russian Embassy in Armenia informs that 9016 Russian citizens in Armenia partook in the presidential elections on March 14. {BR} Majority of them, 92.6% voted for Vladimir Putin.

According to A-INFO, the acutely tensed relations between Tbilisi and Batumi caused some trouble among the Adzharians abroad Adzharia. {BR} Anxiety is not so obvious in Akhalqalaq and Ninotsminda whereas the problem in Tsalka is quite serious. Georgian Parliament MP Hayk Meltonyan elected from Tsalka assures that everything possible will be done to prevent any conflict or bloodshed.

The Russian Presidential Election on 14 March was generally well administered and reflected the consistently high public approval rating of the incumbent president but lacked elements of a genuine democratic contest. {BR}In addition to a dearth of meaningful debate and genuine pluralism, the election process failed to meet an important commitment concerning treatment by the state-controlled media,...

Parliament has today heard 2004’ program of Culture and Youth Ministry. Culture Minister Tamara Poghosyan apologized for introducing the program with delay. She said especially monuments need to be protected. Italy Government has allotted a grant of $ 25.000 for that purpose. {BR} Those making speeches underlined protection of cultural values. Vahan Hovhannissyan referred to price rise of...

Parliament started activity with 90 MPs. Three days’ agenda was approved by 89 pros and 1 abstaining. {BR} Discussions over the bills on “Making Amendments to Law on Weapon” and “Terrorism Prevention” were postponed for 15 days. The same solidarity wasn’t expressed during discussion of the bill introduced by “Justice” Bloc. The bill on “Making...

Russian Central Electoral Commission has today published the name of the new president of Russia. President Vladimir Putin won at the presidential elections on March 14, having gained 71.2 % of votes. {BR} Communist Party Chair Nikolai Kharitonov is holding the 2nd place with 13.7% of votes. Sergey Glazev is the 3rd with 4.1%. 3.9% of the electorate voted for Irina Khakamada. 3.5 % voted against all.

The head of Orinats Yerkir parliamentary fraction Samvel Balasanyan commenting on the fraction’s stile said Orinats Yerkir party has always been active and its activity vigorous and effective. “Once we had only six members in parliament. Now we have as many as 21. Today I have eight extremely active MPs, but there is not all capacity”, he said.

On Friday, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili arrived for a two-day visit in Yerevan at Armenian President Robert Kocharyan’s invitation.{BR} The Presidents of Armenia and Georgia expressed satisfaction with the fact that, during the visit, they exchanged the ratification documents of the October 23, 2001 Agreement on Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Security between the Republic of Armenia...

”Justice” opposition alliance’s board convened its first caucus on Friday to decide further steps to oust the republic current leadership.{BR} The board head Victor Dallakyan refrained from revealing details of the session, but said two day is given to the board members to submitting new proposals. Details will be given to the media after submitting the proposals to the alliance...