President Robert Kocharyan met Saturday with participants of the conference held annually by Armenian Foreign Ministry. To make more efficient Armenia’s diplomatic missions offshore, Kocharyan gave diplomats detailed information about political and economic situation in the country as well as about steps to be taken for the republic economy development. Speaking on foreign policy, president said...

Republicans pledged Saturday their support to president Kocharyan in coming presidential elections. Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan says the party intends to keep heading for the road chosen together with Kocharyan still in 1998. Prime Minister emphasised the Republicans guided by strong sense of commitment remained stuck to this way. He also said the results of economical reforms are to be visible...

“Armenia is not a casino, and presidential elections are not a lottery”, the leader of Union for National Self-determination Paruyr Hayrikyan said at the press conference held Saturday. He urged political parties to take upcoming presidential election “more seriously”. Hayrikyan is still not sure he’ll take part in the presidential elections. “If the alliance of parties having certain background isn’t created, I’ll never run for...

Armenia’s foreign policy is to remain unchanged in 2003, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan says. Armenian Foreign Ministry’s staff and Armenian and chiefs of diplomatic representations carrying out their missions abroad started their third conference today. Oskanyan finds such kind of annual meetings a necessary step, as various problems emerge every year. To clear up some questions...

“There is tremendous difference between the present and 1998, when political field is firmly divided in two: Levon Ter-Petrossyan loyalists united on a common ideological ground and the opposition. Today, political field is blurred and people are growing increasingly desperate”, the National Democratic Union leader Vazgen Manoukyan said today at Press Club. He says he has much chance to be...

Newly elected board of Armenian Nationwide Movement held today elections for the party chairmanship. Ararat Zurabyan was elected as ANM leader winning overwhelming majority of votes while another candidate for the party chairmanship David Shahnazaryan won only 6 votes. It is worth to be mentioned that before that Shahnazaryan being a candidate for the board membership was the second after Vano Siradegyan...

Former Armenian president Levon Ter-Petrossyan has no intention to join the race for presidency. It became clear at the conference Armenian Nation-wide Movement held Thursday. Such a decision disappointed Ter-Petrossyan loyalists. The Movement leadership member Alexan Arzumanyan didn’t answer all the questions former president’s supporters put to him. Although the party has a goal of ousting Kocharyan considering this the only way to save...

Today Central Election Committee registered 3 Parties, proposing candidates for Armenian presidency - People’s Party of Armenia, nominating Stepan Demirchyan, Union for Self-Determination, nominating Paruyr Hayrikyan and National Unity, proposing Artashes Geghamyan . CEC made a decision over introducing biographical information about candidates by the empowered persons . Biographical information will be published in “Republic of Armenia”...

Today at 12:30 PM Central Election Committee received one claim for candidate nomination for Armenian presidency. Under civic initiative Raffi Hovhannisyan , Head of Armenian Centre for National and International Studies, was nominated for election. Anahit Jamkochyan, widow of Yuri Bakhshyan (MP, killed in Parliament Hall on October 27, 1999) , Gevorg Kalenchyan, Ashot Aghababyan and Hrach Hakobyan...

The meeting of the initiative group of some social organisations took place today. Under the 66 and 68 articles of Election Law Code, it approved the decision over nominating present president Robert Kocharyan as a candidate for the presidential elections in 2003 . The decision was adopted unanimously by 287 members of the meeting leaders. “I must thank for both putting froward my candidature...

A few months ago when Armenian Government, headed by president Kocharyan, tried to put the bill on Mass Media in circulation, journalists or rather majority of them opposed it. Taking advantage of the temporary truce, Authorities again try to make the above bill valid . Now I don’t consider it expedient to discuss the separate clauses of the bill. Authorities’ attempts to approve the bill...

As a result of 2-day-long discussion Dashnaktsutyun made a decision to second president Robert Kocharyan in the coming presidential elections . 4 versions for strategy were discussed. to second the present president, to watch the Opposition actions, to appear with own candidate or to remain neutral . According to Dashnaktsutyun representative Armen Rustamyan, almost an unanimous decision was...

Only in Odzun it became clear why Authorities have ceased “A1+” TV Company . For Vahagn Davtyan, Chair for N 39/56 Election District Committee could impose on “A1+” status of an observer in the polling districts . “Juts stand and watch! Don’t dare turn the cameras on!” , Mr Davtyan said. Suren Alaverdyan, Co-Chair for the above Committee as well as the Director of village school after Hovnan Odznetsi, said: “There is no...

On Saturday People’s Party of Armenia sustained a defeat in the head elections of Odzun village. The present village head Melik Ayvazyan as well as the representative of Republican Party and Yezek Aghvanyan, businessman from People’s Party, had nominated themselves for the post of head for the village, having the electorate of 4.000. Melik Ayvazyan is known to be a criminal in the village...

Two more candidates have joined the race for presidency. Aram Karapetyan, the head of “Herankar” Strategic Centre, as well as Paruyr Hayrikyan, the leader of Union for Self-determination, were registered by Central Election Commission. Deadline for submission of proper papers expires on December 6 at 18:00 local time.

Unlike other parties’ conferences, there were some pro-governmental MPs and even the head of parliamentary majority Galust Sahakyan at the Constitutional Right Union’s conference held Saturday. Representatives of all opposition parties included in the Alliance of 16 were present at the Constitutional Right Union Saturday’s event, excepting only Socialist Armenia Union ones and Communist Party’s...

“The series of conferences the opposition parties have recently staged one after another prove that people has already united in a bid to oust the country current leadership”, National Assembly’s “Right and Unity” fraction leader Artashes Geghamyan said at the Constitutional Right Union conference held Saturday. The Union leader Grant Khachatryan said in his speech that the party has always...

Serj Sargsyan as the Head for Kocharyan’s Headquarters Yesterday rumours spread as if Defence Minister Serj Sargsyan is to head the pre-election Headquarters of Robert Kocharyan . If the news is confirmed, it may mean Kocharyan has infringed the Constitution, Law, Order and the words of his own. Army must not meddle in politics , Kocharyan says. Power structures are to stay away from...

”There is anarchy in Armenia. Armenia has one legal but an exiled president – Levon Ter-Petrosyan and the present and the illegal one – Robert Kocharyan” , Vartan Petrosyan, Chair for “Hayots Tun” Union, announces. Representatives of several social organisations, initiative groups of social organisations, demanding Ter-Petrosyan’s return and simply interested ones gathered today in the Hall of Chorus Art House to try to understand...

One can suppose surprise by Geghamyan, regarding establishment of a union with Communists and Social Powers, will seriously be criticised today at the ordinary session of 16’s Union. “The issue over the set up union was fleetingly discussed today and it was decided to settle it through mutual consultation” , Arshak Sadoyan says. “16’s Union came to political terms over 3 issues. To set up a union doesn’t mean split of 16’s...

The improvement of NATO - Russia relations can serve to further strengthen Euro-Atlantic security and help prevent the creation of new dividing lines. For us, it is also important in the light of our advanced military cooperation with Russia and the policy of complementarity that we have been consistently implementing.

As we have already demonstrated in Paris and Key West, we are strongly committed to a comprehensive peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabagh conflict. Such a settlement requires that all sides acknowledge and tackle the root causes of the conflict, rather than try to deal with the consequences. If Azerbaijan had accepted the proposed settlement, we would have already been halfway through...

Jirayr Sefilyan’s speech at the Socialist Armenia Union conference was unexpected to many, especially to former Prime Minister Aram Sargssyan. Sefilyan criticised not only president Kocharyan but also the opposition. “I don’t believe in 16-partty union. Numerous meetings did nothing for our people. People expect more deeds. We must get rid of current power as soon as possible”, he said. “Today, we are badly in need of Vazgen Sargssyan’s...

Strong demands and strict remarks were heard at the conference “Socialist Armenia” union held today. “Time comes to act. Doing is better than saying. We will oust the republic current leadership using every means, including bombing, if needed”, Ashot Manucharyan said in his speech. Criminal policy pursued by the country leadership has brought the republic to the brink of catastrophe, participants of the conference said. They urged all...