USD Chair Paruyr Hayrikyan again met journalists. This time the meeting topic was over language, strategic for Hayrikyan. Mr Hayrikyan talked about the passports of the citizens of Armenia. In all of them is written KÏÏ /Check-point in Russian/ whereas in the passports of Georgia’s citizens is written GEORGIA in English. ”Armenian is our state language and not Russian”, he says. According...

Armenian legislators discussed the motion on amendments to Value Added Tax Law at today’s session. The motion proposes to exempt from VAT payment those attending youth and art study centers. The proposal was prompted by the fact that the number of talented children is dwindling because of fees. A formal proposal on exemption of World War II 11,300 veterans, 8,350 of which are the disabled,...

National Press Club’s Chair Narine Mkrtchyan said Wednesday that the club is going to issue a statement signed by dozens of journalists opposing the Mass Media Bill proposed by Justice Ministry, in particular, enforcement of strict censorship specified in it. Mkrtchyan said the bill doesn’t correspond to international standards. In her words, those organizations in favor of the bill don’t secure journalists rights and have become a tool in...

ARF members say that Kim Balayan, the nominated candidate for CC judge by Coalition will stop his membership in ARF. A Constitutional Court member has no right to be a party representative. Parliament discussions over the candidacy of the new CC member had become so tensed that some of MPs left Parliament Hall after making speeches. “National Unity” Chair Artashes Geghamyan did so, too. 66 “pros” of Parliament members are necessary in...

”UNO has been acting without this document in Armenia till now”, Constitutional Court Chair Gagik Harutyunyan appeared with such a statement during discussion over correspondence of the obligations fixed in Convention on UNO Privileges and Inviolability to the Armenian Constitution. Mr Harutyunyan explained that UNO Office of Armenia spread activity in the field of legislative contradictions. Then he asked Tatul Margaryan, Deputy Minister...

The sitting of Social and Democratic Hnchak Party has taken place today. One of the issues on the sitting agenda was amalgamation of Communists’ Party of Armenia with Social and Democratic Hnchak Party. At the meeting SDHP Chair George Hakobyan welcomed that step by the Communists. ”Authorities hamper us in focusing on our affairs. They try to cause split into our party”, he said. Ishkhan Tovmasyan, the first secretary of Communists’...

Armenia is expected to receive 216,850 USD from Netherlands government in 2004 for implementation of a program focused on human rights protection and enhancement of public awareness of ombudsman institution. Duration of the project is one year. Cooperation between South Caucasus republics’ ombudsman institutions experience and information exchange are included in the program.

Georgian president Eduard Shevardnadze said Friday in his televised address to the nation that he is ready for dialog with opponents in order to calm down civil unrest. The president urged all Georgian citizens to continue to “go about their business” for the sake of the state. Despite the president’s calls, about 15,000 people remained standing at Tbilisi’s Freedom Square demanding the president resignation. The opposition remains...

“When I’m being asked is Armenia a good country for making investment, I’m always answering “yes”, said the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Ordway. “Does it mean you are engaged in advertising Armenia”, a journalist asked. “Yes”, Mr. Ordway answered with wide American smile.

The U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Ordway denied the U.S. alleged support of Georgia’s opposition on Friday. “We didn’t back any candidate in Georgia’s parliamentary elections”, he said. The ambassador declined to make any judgment on Georgian elections saying he hasn’t yet got familiar with the OSCE observers’ conclusion. “We attach great importance to the necessity of free and just election and urged all Georgian political...

Last plea of Nairi Hunanyan, a key defendant in the October 27 terrorist action trial, was scheduled for today’s hearing. However, shortly after entering a plea the defendant was prevented from continuing his speech. Judge Samvel Uzunyan interrupted Hunanyan, when the latter tried to read his latter to Kocharyan written while his detention in solitary confinement. The judge said he can’t allow...

“Overseas Secret Services Role in Armenian Interior and Foreign Policy” seminar was held Wednesday by National Press Club. Leader of Armenian Union for Self-Determination Paruyr Hayrikyan said a list of the Soviet-era KGB undercover agents’ names. Constitutional Right party leader Grant Khachatryan said the agents are being recruited from the worst part of people and noted that such a sort of people constitutes the bulk of “Karabakh”...

Members of Shirak province’s office of Armenian Union for Self-Determination staged a protest action outside the presidential seat accusing the republic leadership of harassing the party. Protesters burned a Kocharyan-like puppet, then moved to the U.S. Embassy and submit application asking for political asylum. The embassy officers said the answer will be ready in 15 days. The protesters’ next destination was House of the Government....

Armenian government is opposed to 13 MPs’ proposal to set up a commission to scrutinize the government activity in aviation area. The issue was put on National Assembly’s floor today. Aviation specialists took part in the discussion. A government official, Justice Minister David Harutyunyan was present at the session as well. The minister explained government’s negative attitude toward above mentioned proposal by saying the government...

”The aim of my visit is reconsideration of some issues over development, expansion and intensification of Armenian-Russian military relations”, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Ivanov said. As a result of re-examination of several issues, Defense Ministers of Armenia and Russia signed 3 documents and approved 2004 Collaboration Program of 2 Ministries. ”There are no problems between the Defense Ministries of Armenia and Russia. There are...

”PJA” Kurd Women’ Organization has today held a press conference in Yerevan Office of “Kurdistan” Committee. The conference aimed to draw the attention of the international public and Media of Armenia in particular, to the fact that they will start hostilities on December 1, 2003, if the Turkish Authorities do nothing to improve the health state of their leader Abdullah Ojalan. According to “PJA” executive Mzgin Shadi, on September...

”Worthy Future” Party held a special session like other parties. Series of the sittings was conditioned by that the regulations of the Armenian Parties must be brought in correspondence with the amended Law on “Parties”. Renewal of the regulations and the project and elaboration of strategy – that’s the purpose of the special sitting of “Worthy Future”. Staying without the “pre-election” ally /People’s and Democratic Party...

PACE Monitoring Commission held a session on November 5 in Paris to consider European experts reports on Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. The reports’ details are not being revealed so far. Member of Armenian parliamentary delegation to CE Armen Rusramyan told journalists Monday that a wide range of issues, including corruption and Karabakhi conflict, is presented in the report on Armenia. OSCE...

The accused of the October 27 terrorist attack entered pleas at today’s hearing. All of them denied guilt and pleaded innocent to all charges. Key defendant Karen Hunanyan and his codefendants Hamlet Stepanyan and Derenik Bejanyan refused to speak in a protest. “I don’t want to defend myself from illegal accusations”, said Stepanyan who can be sentenced to 14 years in jail on prosecutors’ proposal or to life imprisonment on demand...

Members of Self-Determination Union’s office of Armenia’s Shirak province staged a protest action near the U.S. Embassy building on Friday. Protesters say the party became subject to harassment by the republic authorities, which left its members no option but to seek political asylum. The union members were told in the embassy they need to file a formal request.

On November 6 the 113th session of Ministers Committee of Council of Europe was over in Kishinev. Armenian Foreign Affairs Minister Vardan Oskanyan partook in it, too. The subject of the session was Council of Europe-European Union Collaboration. In his speech Minister Oskanyan has referred to Karabakhi conflict. ”In Transcaucasia Armenia and its neighbors live under unsolved conflicts. It is...

USA expert Zbigne Bjezinsi announced the other day that Armenia and Azerbaijan will finally become NATO members. Secretaries of Security Councils at the Armenian and Russian presidents have today referred to that statement at the joint press conference. MEMBERSHIP TO NATO IS OUT OF AGENDA ”Russia intensifies its relations with NATO”, Vladimir Rushaylo, Secretary of Security Council at the Russian president, announced. ”Armenian president...

On arriving in Armenia Vladimir Rushaylo, Secretary of the Security Council at the Russian president, announced that one of the visit purposes is Karabakhi conflict. ”Karabakhi conflict is very complicated. Procedures on it pass by 2 formats – bilateral – between Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents, and multilateral – within OSCE Minsk group. Being a co-chairing state in Minsk group, Russia aims to influence the processes positively and...

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