|
| Yerevan, April 30 /Azg/ After March incidents, Levon Ter-Petrosian partisan political forces and organizations 26 times informed the Municipality about holding rallies and demonstrations and were rejected, announced member of Ter-Petrosian campaign office Manushak Petrosian.
She informed that they had applied to Administrative Court to dispute Municipality decisions. As the court dismissed the action, they applied to the Constitutional Court. |  Full Story |
|
| Stepanakert, April 15 /Armenians Today/ A film under the title "Armenian Odyssey of Tigranakert" was shown in the Youth Palace of Stepanakert. It presents the first year's work of Tigranakert excavations. "A number of U.S. newspapers compared discovery of Tigranakert with discovery of Troya," archeologist Hamlet Petrosian, the head of Tigranakert excavations expedition, said mentioning that it is not only a scientific, an academic research, but also a research "containing some elements of adventure." | | Full Story |
|
 Yerevan, April 8, 2008 /ARKA/. The consortium of WYG International (UK) and Ameria CJSC (Armenia) have signed a contract for "Preparation of National Road Safety Strategy for Armenia".
The press service of the Ameria CJSC reports that the Government of Armenia and the World Bank initiated Traffic Management and Safety Project. The contract is the result of the competitive tender announced by the World Bank. | | Full Story |
|
| Yerevan, April 7 /Panarmenian.net/ Armenia's President Robert Kocharian congratulated Armenian women on Motherhood and Beauty Day, the leader's press office reported.
"Dear women,
I congratulate you on Motherhood and Beauty Day. Inexhaustible motherly courage and care stipulate the woman's exclusive role in the upbringing of young generation with the family and society... | | Full Story |
|
 Yerevan, April 7 /ARKA/ Enlarging Yerevan subway is a priority of the capital's transport development plan for 2008, Yerevan Mayor Yervand Zakharyan said. "Transport network is a small one in Yerevan. There is no alternative to enlarging the subway network," the Mayor told a Monday news briefing.
The Armenian Government allocated a subsidy of AMD 1.7bln for additional preparation efforts. Zakharyan said the Mayor's Office is currently assessing the state of incompletely constructed subway stations to set a corresponding action plan | | Full Story |
|
 April 4. /ARKA/. Whitefish (sig) population totaled 600 tons in Armenia's Sevan Lake by the end of 2007, which is a 40% reduction as compared with 2006, the Chief of Department for biological resources of Armenian Environmental Ministry Karen Chenterechian said.
In 2006, whitefish population was 1,000 tons, whereas in 1998 it was 1,800 tons, he reported. The greatest population of whitefish was recorded in 1970-1990ies - about 2,000 tons. | | Full Story |
|
| Yerevan, April 4 /Panarmenian.net/ On April 6, all Armenian Churches will hold a service for those dead in riots that shocked Yerevan on March 1 and 2, reported the press office of Holy Echmiadzin.
7 civilians and 1 policeman died in Yerevan disorders on March 1 and 2. The prosecutor general's office said the number of injured persons reached 265. | | Full Story |
|
 Yerevan, March 21 /Panarmenian.net/ Agreement on formation of coalition is a document of political consent, representative of the ARFD Supreme Body Armen Rustamyan said Friday. "We sign a political document and do not think about the posts. We highlight coordination of political issues to resolve the problems our country faces."
"Dashnaktsutyun has a number of goals. We should take action to ease tensions and carry out reforms to secure stability in the republic. These tasks urge joint work," he said, Novosti Armenia reports.
| | Full Story |
|
| Yerevan, March 1 /Panarmenian.net/ Armenia's President Robert Kocharian declared a 20-day emergency rule in the republic.
Conduction of rallies is forbidden, activities of political parties frozen. Media is allowed to publish official information only. | | Full Story |
|
 February 26, 2008, ArmeniaLiberty.org, By Emil Danielyan - The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) on Monday recognized Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian's victory in Armenia's disputed presidential election and offered to pull out of his cabinet.
In a written statement, the nationalist party's leadership in Armenia said it "does not dispute the final results of the elections and wishes President-Elect Serzh Sarkisian success."
The statement came three days after Dashnaktsutyun's presidential candidate, Vahan Hovannisian, resigned as deputy speaker of parliament, citing his poor showing in the election. | | Full Story |
|
 Yerevan, February 14 /Armenialiberty.org/ Echoing reports by opposition candidates and local media, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe detailed on Thursday the widespread use of government resources in Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian's election campaign.
In its second pre-election interim report, the main international vote-monitoring mission deployed in Armenia by the OSCE said its observers have "difficulties in distinguishing accurately between Serzh Sarkisian's campaign and the work of local self-government" not least because some town and village mayors are "actively campaigning" for the prime minister. | | Full Story |
|
 Yerevan, January 30, 2008 - Khashtarak community's health clinic will undergo
complete renovation as part of the Armenia Fund Rural Development Program. The
subcontractor tender has already been announced and the construction works are
expected to commence in the spring. The project will become a reality thanks to the
efforts of the Armenia Fund Netherlands Affiliate who managed to rally the support of both
the local Armenian community and the government of the Netherlands around the idea of
improving the health care in Armenia's border villages.
| | Full Story |
|
Gyumri, January 22, Armenpress; The government of Austria donated over 300,000 euros worth modern mobile infant transport incubators and respiratory devices to a children's hospital in Armenia's second largest town of Gyumri.
The hospital was built by Austria in the wake of the 1988 quake that razed the town to ground. | | Full Story |
|
 Yerevan, January 22. /ARKA/. The Municipality of Yerevan has summed up the results of the New Year's competition for the best decoration of trade pavilions. The Municipality has received 50 applications for the competition, according to Sashik Manucharian, head of the trade and service department, Municipality of Yerevan.
The three winners are the shops Linum E Chi Linum (Once upon a Time) in Malatia Sebastia Community, Couture Style (Center Community), and Yeritsyan & Sons Supermarket (Arabkir Community).
| | Full Story |
|
Yerevan, January 17, Armenpress: Unemployment level in Armenia dropped to 6.67 percent as of December 31, 2006 from 7.2 percent 12 months before.
Sona Harutunian, chief of the state-run Employment Service, said today the figure reflects the number of people who applied to the agency's regional branches in search of jobs.
She said the real picture of the unemployment level is not clear because there are no exact figure about covert employment, when employers underreported routinely the number of their employees and different methodologies used for relevant studies. | | Full Story |
|
 Yerevan, January 15, Armenpress: According to preliminary figures, released by Armenia's trade and economic development ministry, some 450,000 tourists visited the country in 2007.
Mekhak Apresian, head of a department dealing with tourism issues, said the final figures will be unveiled in early February. He said some 60 percent of all foreign visitors are ethnic Armenians living in other countries. | | Full Story |
|
Yerevan, January 11, Armenpress: Armenian health ministry has started distribution of anti-flu vaccines to clinics around the country which will be followed by free vaccination of the most vulnerable sections of population.
Lilit Avetisian, head of a health ministry's department overseeing infectious diseases, said to Armenpress that 33,000 people will be vaccinated against flu in February. | | Full Story |
|
 Yerevan, January 11. /ARKA/. Public discussions on the reviewed Poverty Reduction Strategy are to be held in Yerevan on January 14. All interested parties are welcome to participate in the discussions, the Press Service of Armenia's Ministry of Finance and Economy reported.
The Strategy working group is to have additional discussions of the draft within the next month and then to submit it for discussion in the Coordination Council of the Strategy.
| | Full Story |
|
| Stepanakert, December 26 /Armenpress/ In a bid to give a boost to birth rates the government of Nagorno-Karabakh will open a bank account for every third child born to local families.
The promised money will be 500,000 Drams (about $1,700). As much will receive the mother of the baby as a one-time allowance.
assistance and new weds will get 300,000 Drams ($1000). | | Full Story |
|
| Yerevan, December 25, /ARKA/ Armenia intends to develop into the regional education and science center, Armenian Education and Science Minister Levon Mkrtchyan said on Monday.
He said that the ministry has already completed five-year process of elaboration of the national program intended for the period up to 2015.
He said the ministry intended to send the final version of the project to the government soon for approval. | | Full Story |
|
 Yerevan, December 11, 2007, Armenpress: In Armenia couples are tying the knot at a later age now than several years ago, according to a joint study conducted by the UNICEF and WHO Armenia Offices.
It has found that males tend to marry when they are 25.5 years old. Their marriage age has increased from 22.5 some 6-7 years ago. Females marry when they are 22.3 years old, up from 21. | | Full Story |
|
Novemebr 21, 2007, ATP - For Armenia Tree Project (ATP), this will be a year of significant achievements in community tree planting, large-scale reforestation, nursery expansion, and community development programs. In 2007, ATP planted over 535,000 trees at 174 sites throughout Armenia, fulfilling its pledge to the worldwide campaign launched by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
As part of the "Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign," ATP pledged to plant at least 500,000 trees in 2007, as part of Armenia's contribution to the UNEP goal to plant at least one billion trees worldwide during 2007. | | Full Story |
|
 Yerevan, November 16. /ARKA/. The newly established Eurasia Partnership Foundation will promote formation of a medium business class in Armenia. Representatives of medium business will be interested in the future of their country in practice, the President of Eurasia Foundation Horton Beebe-Center told journalists.
He also said that the projects of Eurasia Foundation are successful in the country due to involvement of the public and the support provided by the Government of Armenia. Establishing Eurasia Partnership Foundation in Armenia shows the willingness to continue and develop relations with Armenia, Beebe-Center said. | | Full Story |
|
 Yerevan, October 31, /Armenpress/: Presidnet Robert Kocharian said today it was regretful that ex-presidnet Levon Ter-Petrosian is seeking a political comeback being filled with malice. He said it was that malice that destroyed his Armenian National Movement (ANM).
Kocharian made his remarks after a journalist asked him to comment on accusations which the ex-presidnet leveled on the incumbent administration in a 90-minute speech at the October 26 rally.
Kocharian said the main 'idea' in his predecessor's speech is that 'everything was good when he ruled Armenia and when he resigned everything turned bad.'
"I think our people remember well what quality of life they had during Ter-Petrosian's years in office and now. | | Full Story |
|
 Yerevan, October 29, /Armenpress/: Some 235 Armenian males, aged 27 and above who were on the 'wanted' list for avoiding mandatory military service, bought their freedom from prosecution during the spring military call-up by paying to the government 265 million Drams.
The law allowing military dodgers to buy freedom was enforced in 2004. It stipulates that amnesty can be applied to those age 27 or older.
Under the law, dodgers whose fathers or brothers died during military service are exempted from fines. Also, those who have three or more children and those who have two children growing up without a mother are exempted. | | Full Story |
|
 October 26. /ARKA/. The RA Government has approved a draft program of rehabilitation and preservation of the ecosystem of Lake Sevan for 2008.
The press and public relations department, RA Government, reports that the draft has been elaborated in conformity with the Laws «On Lake Sevan» and «On approval of annual and comprehensive programs of rehabilitation, preserrvation and reprodution of the ecosystem of Lake Sevan». | | Full Story |
|
 October 26. /ARKA/. Canadian SPSC Transcom Limited will implemented consulting services of transferring Armenian railroads to concessionary management, the RA Government's press service told ARKA.
During its session the Government approved the results of the contest on providing consulting services on transferring Armenian railroads to concessionary management, held on August 1 according to the program of reorganization of the Armenian railroads financed by the International Development Association. | | Full Story |
|
 Yerevan, October 24. /ARKA/. Armenia is in need of an effective system for controlling unjustified increase in prices, Republican MP Eduard Sharmazanov said at Tuesday's parliamentary session.
He thinks the government would pay greater attention to abuses committed by economy entities and a control system is to be created in the country for preventing unjustified rise in prices.
Sharmazanov doesn't rule out world processes' impact on prices in Armenia, but says that economy entities' joint unfair actions add a great deal to that.
| | Full Story |
|
 Yerevan, October 9, /Armenpress/. Transport and communications minister Andranik Manukian denounced today the Dutch-managed HayPost (Armenian Post ) company for a massive layoff saying if this company seeks to improve its financial standing it must archive it through business development and not by sacking over 100 employees.
The minister was asked by journalists to comment on the news when he visited a philately exhibit in Yerevan.< | | Full Story |
|
 Yerevan, October 8, /Armenpress/. Madlene Minassian, head of the Cafesjian Museum Foundation press office, told Armenpress that construction of the Gerard L. Cafesjian Museum of Contemporary Art in central Yerevan will be over in 2010.
She said some 100 workers and 4 engineers have finished earthwork and are engaged currently in concreting, which is likely to take 18 months. She said workers use local materials except steel parts.
The museum will house Mr. Cafesjian's pre-eminent collection of glass artwork, including the definitive collection of works by renowned artists Stanislav Libensky and Jaroslava Brychtova. | | Full Story |
|
 Yerevan, October 5, Armenpress: A parliament member from the governing Republican Party has downplayed speculations and media stories arguing that prime minister Serzh Sarkisian will not be able to win an outright and sweeping victory in the 2008 presidential election.
The MP, Mkrtich Minasian, said today to a news conference that Serzh Sarkisian's regular visits to Armenian regions are not an element of a populist campaign, but a desire to get to know the real problems of the people which is key to deciding a strategy for their solution.< | | Full Story |
|
 Yerevan, October 1 /Armenialiberty.org/ By Astghik Bedevian - Former parliament speaker Artur Baghdasarian will stand in Armenia's forthcoming presidential election and will not endorse any other opposition candidate, his Orinats Yerkir Party said on Monday.
The announcement followed a weekend meeting of the Orinats Yerkir leadership that discussed the party's pre-election strategy. It bore out analysts' forecasts that Baghdasarian will not withdraw from the presidential race in favor of any other opposition leader.
"The Orinats Yerkir will participate in the forthcoming presidential elections with its own candidate," Artashes Avoyan, a senior Orinats Yerkir parliamentarian, told RFE/RL. "We are talking about the party leader," he said. | | Full Story |
|
| Yerevan, September 26 /Armenpress/ President Robert Kocharian summoned today top officials from the State Taxation Service (STS) to learn whether its leadership is able to meet the projected targets. Kocharian's press service said if the answer was "yes," the president wondered what mechanisms it was going to apply to achieve the objective.
Kocharian was quoted as saying that the STS's ultimate task is to drastically improve tax administration.
"Tax collection indices should be linked with economic growth to constitute 'a normal' percentage of the overall GDP," he said, implicating that taxes still make an insignificant portion in the overall GDP. | | Full Story |
|
 September 20, 2007 - September 18, 2007, was the official launch date for the Armenia Fund Rural Development Program. The event took place in Khashtarak village of Tavush region. It is one of the six villages included in the Rural Development Program first cluster. The other five villages are Aknaghbyur, Azatamut, Ditavan, Lusadzor and Lusahovit. The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Vartan Oskanian, Armenia Fund Executive Director Vahe Aghabegians and the marzpet of Tavush Armen Ghularian.
Members of all six villages involved in the Program gathered in front of Khashtarak School where the event took place. | | Full Story |
|
 Yerevan, September 14, Armenpress: Millennium Challenge Account - Armenia (MCAA) has announced the award of a consulting contract to "Hayjrnakhagits Institute" CJSC for the design and construction supervision of a project that will rehabilitate six main irrigation canals (Artashat, Low Hrazdan, Armavir, Talin, Arzni-Shamiram, Shirak) of the MCA-Armenia Irrigated Agriculture Project Infrastructure Activity. | | Full Story |
|
 Yerevan, September 12, Armenpress: Under a new law on restricting the sale, consumption and use of tobacco products in Armenia, enforced on March 2, 2005, warning labels on cigarette packs will become mandatory in 2008. They will have to cover some 30 percent of the pack's space. Cigarette advertising will be outlawed by 2010.
This is a requirement of the European Union's Framework Convention on Tobacco control (FCTC), ratified by the Armenian parliament and signed into law by the president of the country. | | Full Story |
|
 September 3, 2007 /ArmeniaLiberty.Org/The majority of Armenians feel that their country is on the wrong track and do not expect its forthcoming presidential elections to be free and fair, according to a new U.S.-funded opinion poll.
The nationwide poll, conducted by the Armenian Sociological Association last month, is the latest in a series of quarterly surveys designed and coordinated by the Gallup Organization. The U.S. International Republican Institute (IRI) began commissioning them last year with the aim of gauging public opinion on key issues facing Armenia. | | Full Story |
|
 Yerevan, September 3. /ARKA/. Education modernization in Armenia is one of key factors needed for the country development, and human resources' capacity directly depends on the education quality, Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said on Saturday in his address to Armenian schoolchildren, teachers, their parents as well as university students and lecturers congratulating them on the Day of Knowledge, presidential press office reports.
"I'm congratulating especially those who started attending school this year. This is a landmark and decisive period of their lives. Be consistent and keen and unlimited opportunities will open before you", the presidential press office quoted the head of state as saying. | | Full Story |
|
 Yerevan, August 30. /ARKA/. Expenses of individuals - stationary telecommunication subscribers in Armenia - exceed similar indicators in Moscow, Azerbaijan and the United States, Ashot Turanjan, net administrator and web designer at Armenian Centre for National and International Studies, said Thursday during a round-table discussion over telecommunication in Armenia.
He said payments for stationary telecommunication make 18.5% of an average salary equal to $197. | | Full Story |
|
 Yerevan, August 31. /ARKA/. Hasmik Yesayan, Armenian State Engineering University press secretary, said on Thursday that the 13,000 enrolled in the university this year, and 5063 of them to state-paid student vacancies.
"The new academic year starts with traditional meeting between the university administration and students. The University Rector Vostanik Marukhyan welcomes students", the university press release says.
According to the press release, new laboratories, classrooms, computers and devices were acquired this year. | | Full Story |
|
 Yerevan, August 30. /ARKA/. Average pension will be increased by 60% up to AMD 20,000 in Armenia effective January 1 2008, the Press Service of the Armenian Government reported.
Under the governmental decree, basic pension is increased from AMD 4,250 to AMD 6,800 and cost of one year of insurance record is increased from AMD230 to AMD 375. | | Full Story |
|
Armavir, August 28, ARMENPRESS: As part of Comprehensive Rural Development Program carried out by the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) secondary school in the Lernagog community of the Armenian province of Armavir re-opened after reconstruction.
The school which is intended for around 250 pupils was reconstructed by "Kanaka" company.
Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsian, who was participating in the re-opening ceremony, said that it is a good present for the children and parents of Lernagog. | | Full Story |
|
| Yerevan, August 27 /Armenpress/ Armenia's Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) decided August 24 that Yerevan-based fixed telephones must have 7 digits instead of current six. It also decided that fixed telephone numbers in Gyumri and Vanadzor will have 6 digits instead of current 5.
The PSRC explained the change by 'liberalization of the telecommunications market." | | Full Story |
|
| Yerevan, August 23 /Armenpress/ Aram Manukian, a senior member of the former ruling Armenian National Movement (ANM), called today for creation of what he described as 'a broad format of national accord', which he said would allow to carry out public, political and social orders.
Speaking to a news conference he said some of opposition groups were holding consultations on creating such a format. | | Full Story |
|
| Yerevan, August 21 /Armenpress/ The government of Armenia has released extra 30 million Drams to Yerevan municipality for repair of elevators in high-rise blocks of apartments.
According to the municipality, there are now 4,261 registered elevators in the city of which 354 do not operate.
| | Full Story |
|
| Yerevan, August 20, Armenpress: Deputy Yerevan mayor Vano Vardanian said today the fountains on Republican Square in downtown Yerevan will be switched on in mid-September.
The fountains were switched off in spring for a major repair. The deputy mayor said a French firm was hired to help redesign the fountains.
The fountains were last repaired in 1986. | | Full Story |
|
 August 17, 2007, ArmeniaLiberty.org, By Ruzanna Stepanian - Applicants to Armenian universities needed lower scores to be admitted to academic faculties this year.
At the same time, the number of average scorers in entrance examinations showed an increase as compared to last year.
About 30 percent of exam takers in the Russian language could not overcome the minimum required eight-point score, while about 26 percent failed in mathematics. Lower scores were also typical for the exams in the Armenian people's history and the oral exam in the Armenian language. | | Full Story |
|
 Yerevan, August 17. /ARKA/. On Friday, Armenian Public Services Regulatory Commission gave ArmenTel Telecommunication Company its permission to use radio frequencies.
The commission, grounding on the law on electronic communication and its own rules, decoded to give 14515-14739 Megahertz, 14935-15159 Megahertz, 22015-22281 Megahertz and 23023-23289 Megahertz to the company for a term expiring on March 3, 2013.
Hayk Farmazyan, ArmenTel director on policy regulation, told journalists that the company asked for these frequencies because of irregularities in some sections of Yerevan and provinces. | | Full Story |
|
 Yerevan, August 17, Armenpress: Following the launch of its Model Cluster Program, a unique and comprehensive development effort, the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) continues to reduce poverty and bring back hope to rural Armenia by rehabilitating the infrastructure and improving the economy through a multitude of health, social and educational projects.
The success of COAF's completed projects in Karakert, its Model Village, has inspired the residents of neighboring Argina, Dalarik, Lernagog, Myasnikyan and Shenik to plan their future with optimism and zeal. | | Full Story |
|
 Yerevan, August 16. /ARKA/. Yerevan's Municipality will allocate $15mln for the construction of a new multilevel traffic centre in the city.?The project has been developed, and the construction will be launched in the near future, Gurgen Mousheghian, Director of the "Yerevanproject" institute reported today. ?"A crosswalk and an elevated road will be built under the construction of a new traffic centre between Brother Orbeli and Baghramian Streets," Mousheghian said. ?According to him, another elevated road will be constructed in the crossroads of Brghramian and Kasian Streets. | | Full Story |
|
| Yerevan, August 15 /Armenialiberty.org/ By Anna Saghabalian - Armenia's migration agency has posted data suggesting that the country has seen a positive 'migration balance' in the past three years.
Gagik Yeganian, Head of the Government-affiliated Department for Migration and Refugee Affairs, told RFE/RL that currently Armenia has more arrivals than people departing from the country.
According to him, while emigration, or the number of people leaving the country, steadily exceeded the number of visitors by some 40,000 in the late 1990s up until 2002, the situation has changed since. | | Full Story |
|
| Yerevan, August 14, Armenpress: In response to growing complaints of motorists and Yerevan residents that traffic in the Armenian capital is becoming increasingly chaotic, aggravated by the ongoing road repairs on several thoroughfares, Armenian traffic police have set up a hot line 1-77, "to react swiftly to motorists and pedestrians' proposals about how to improve road safety in Yerevan.' | | Full Story |
|
 August 2, 2007, ArmeniaLiberty.org, By Hovannes Shoghikian - The World Bank has approved the release of a fresh $5 million loan that will be used for upgrading Armenia's battered irrigation networks.
In a statement issued after a Tuesday meeting in Washington of its governing board, the World Bank said the money will be disbursed as part of its Irrigation Development Project (IDP) for Armenia which was launched in 1994, at the height of the country's post-Soviet economic slump. The bank has already provided about $100 million under scheme designed to improve Armenian farmers' access to irrigation water. | | Full Story |
|
 July 31, 2007, ArmeniaLiberty.org, By Hovannes Shoghikian - Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian promised on Monday that his government will postpone the enforcement of stricter licensing requirements that could force hundreds of Armenian taxi drivers out of business.
Meeting several dozen drivers who again gathered outside his office, Sarkisian said the rules, effective from August 1, were approved by the Armenian government last March too hastily. | | Full Story |
|
 Yerevan, July 25, /Armenialiberty.org/ By Hovannes Shoghikian - Several dozen taxi drivers parked their cars outside the main government building in Yerevan Wednesday in protest against new government regulations that could lose them and many of their colleagues their jobs.
The protesters honked on the horns as they drove from the southern Erebuni suburb to the city's central Republic Square in a convoy of some 60 cars, their headlights full on.
The taxi business has had a huge expansion in Armenia in the past few years, creating thousands of new jobs and catering for a growing clientele. | | Full Story |
|
 Yerevan, July 23, 2007, Arka - The opening of a windsurfing on the Armenian Lake Sevan will encourage tourism development in the country, Armenian President Robert Kocharian told reporters Saturday after the opening ceremony.
"Opening of a windsurfing center will make Sevan more alluring from the viewpoint of tourism and will encourage this sector's development," the president reported.
According to him, the center's location is very favorable. It is not far from Yerevan. | | Full Story |
|
 July 18, 2007, ArmeniaLiberty.org, By Astghik Bedevian - Alex Manoogian, one of the most prominent Diaspora Armenian philanthropists, and his wife were reburied in Armenia with state honors on Tuesday more than a decade after their death in the United States.
The remains of Alex and Marie Manoogians were laid to rest near the main cathedral of the Armenian Apostolic Church in a state funeral attended by Catholicos Garegin II, President Robert Kocharian and other top government officials. They were flown from Detroit and escorted to the church headquarters in Echmiadzin by an honor guard of the Armenian army on Friday. | | Full Story |
|
 Yerevan, 11 July. /Arka/. The newly appointed US Charge D'Affaires to Armenia, Rudolph Perina, assumed office on Tuesday, succeeding Anthony Godfrey. The press service of the U.S. Embassy in Armenia reports that Perina's deep knowledge, his experience in Armenia and professional ties with the Armenian officialdom will contribute to the continuation of bilateral relations.
According to the press service, Perina will not stay long in office, as the issue of appointing a new U.S. Ambassador to Armenia still remains topical. President Bush keeps on endorsing Ambassador Richard Hogland's candidacy of U.S. Ambassador to Armenia. | | Full Story |
|
Gyumri, July 4, Armenpress: A hail and a heavy rain on July 3 overnight damaged hectares of crops-vegetables and potato- in the northwestern province of Shirak. According to local authorities, some 15 rural communities were affected, especially the villages of Hovuni, Marmashen, Kapa and some others.
Farmers and experts estimate that the damages amount to 70-100 percent, meaning that in some communities actually all crops were destroyed. | | Full Story |
|
 July 03, 2007, ArmeniaLiberty.org, By Ruzanna Khachatrian - The Armenian government unexpectedly failed to push through parliament on Tuesday controversial draft legislation that could lead to a de facto ban on Armenian-language broadcasts of RFE/RL.
The National Assembly dominated by government supporters lacked only one vote to make a quorum and pass a package of relevant legal amendments in the second and final reading. Failure by some pro-government lawmakers, notably those affiliated with the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), to take part in the crucial vote and its boycott by the opposition minority were decisive for the surprise development. | | Full Story |
|
| Yerevan, June 29, Armenpress: The U.S. Embassy in Armenia dedicated the installation of four Laser Shot shooting simulators at the Training Center and Police Academy of the Republic of Armenia. The dedication ceremony took place at the Police Training Center in Kanaker. Present at the ceremony was Artashes Andriasyan, Head of the Training Center, Eduard Chibukhchyan, Head of the Training Department of the Police Academy, William Douglass, Transnational Crime Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan, and representatives of Laser Shot, Inc. | | Full Story |
|
 Yerevan, June 26, Armenpress: Spokesperson for the Armenian Foreign Ministry Vladimir Karapetian told Armenpress that Armenia has been undertaking efforts so that UNESCO sends a mission to the region to assess the condition of the Armenian cultural monuments in Old Jugha (Nakhijevan). He said that it is not a secret that the Armenian monuments are being systematically destroyed in the Azerbaijani territory, especially in Nakhijevan. He said that Armenian leadership stated about it in the UNESCO, UN and European establishments.
Letters were sent to the general director of the UNESCO in 1998, in 2002 and in 2005 presenting the situation and calling on undertaking steps for stopping the cultural genocide of the Armenian monuments in Nakhijevan. | | Full Story |
|
 June 22, ArmeniaLiberty.org, By Anna Saghabalian and Hovannes Shoghikian - Armenia's recently reshuffled government pledged on Thursday to embark on "second-generation reforms" which it said will strengthen democracy and rule of law, ensure continued economic growth, and further reduce poverty.
The promised reforms are at part of a five-year plan of action approved by Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian's new coalition cabinet. The program is certain to be endorsed by the National Assembly later this month, in what will amount to a vote of confidence in the governing coalition formed as a result of the May 12 parliamentary elections. | | Full Story |
|
Yerevan, June 21, Armenpress: Helping firms identify Armenia's top IT graduates and assisting IT graduates find the best jobs is the aim of Armenia's first Information Technology Careers Fair to be held on Friday, June 22, at the main entrance of the Yerevan State University.
An official from CAPS told Armenpress that four major Armenian universities offering degrees in Information Technology - Yerevan State University, American University of Armenia, State Engineering University of Armenia and Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University - together with the USAID-funded Competitive Armenian Private Sector Project (CAPS) and the Union of Information Technology Enterprises (UITE) joined together to organize and host the event. | | Full Story |
|
| Yerevan, June 11 /Armenpress/ Yerevan municipality will introduce on July 1 a new pubic transport scheme that will be effective until 2011, when the authorities promise to replace thousands of mini-buses, creating chaos on Yerevan streets, by regular bus services. Karen Yedigarian, the acting head of Yerevan-Trans company, which has developed the scheme at the municipality's request, told a new conference today that currently 23 bus routes operates in the city. He said four routes, managed by mini-buses, will be replaced within this year by bus services. | | Full Story |
|
| Yerevan, June 7 /Armenialiberty.org/ By Astghik Bedevian, Ruzanna Khachatrian and Anna Saghabalian - The fourth National Assembly of independent Armenia began its first session on Thursday with a collective oath of allegiance to Armenia's constitution.
The 131-member legislative body was greeted by President Robert Kocharian, as well as Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, who gave his blessing to the newly elected parliament and said a prayer.
The ceremonial part was followed by the election of parliament leadership in the absence of opposition lawmakers, including elected deputies from ex-parliament speaker Artur Baghdasarian's Orinats Yerkir and ex-foreign minister Raffi Hovannisian-led Heritage party. | | Full Story |
|
 Yerevan, June 06 /Armenialiberty.org/ By Astghik Bedevian - Tense political consultations that went on for weeks ended on Wednesday as three pro-establishment parties appeared to agree on the future government's composition.
The Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) and the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), the top two finishers in Armenia's recent parliamentary elections, signed a memorandum on a coalition government in which Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian's ruling party is set to preserve a lion's share of portfolios.
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutyun (ARF) is expected to keep three of its current four positions in the executive after signing a cooperation deal with the new coalition partners later in the afternoon. | | Full Story |
|
| Yerevan, June 5 /Armenpress/ One of Renaults buses run by the Yerevan municipality has been adapted to transport people with walking difficulties. Due to changes they can get aboard and get off the bus without problems.
Arsen Gasparian from the municipality's transport department, told a round table discussion on the needs of people with various degrees of disability that the bus will be presented one of these days.
He said one of the trolley-buses which the municipality will buy this year, will be also adapted to transport people with walking disabilities. | | Full Story |
|
| May 29, Yerevan /Armenpress/ Armenian medics plan to set up a center at the Cardiology Institute that will be dealing with sleep disorders. The center is supposed to start working in mid-summer and will have advanced equipment for proper diagnosis of these problems because in most cases, sleep disorders can be easily managed once they are properly diagnosed.
Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder. It occurs more often in women and in the elderly.
Samson Khachatrian, chairman of the League of Young Armenian Neurologists, said sleep disorders are not diagnosed in Armenia being ignored by primary health doctors. | | Full Story |
|
| Yerevan. May 24. /Arka/. Until the end of 2007, ArmenTel Company intends to abandon monopoly on IP-telephony in Armenia, ArmenTel Director General Oleg Bliznyuk reported at a press conference on Thursday.
According to him, the company abandons its monopoly and leaves the issue for consideration of the Commission for Regulation of Public Services that is to regulate licensing.
"At the moment, ArmenTel is the monopolist de jure only in this segment, as most of providers used our network and frequently took not very high quality channels," Bliznyuk said. | | Full Story |
|
| May 24, Yerevan /Armenialiberty.org/ By Irina Hovannisian - The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) said on Wednesday that it has been offered senior positions in a new government to be formed by Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian and is currently weighing up its options.
Sarkisian appears willing to share power with Dashnaktsutyun and other parties loyal to President Robert Kocharian, even though his Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) won an outright majority in parliament in this month's general elections. Observers believe he is thereby trying to broaden political support for his bid to succeed Kocharian early next year. | | Full Story |
|
 Yerevan, May 17, Armenpress: Armenian road police have reported a substantial growth of road accidents in the first quarter of the year as opposed to the same time span of 2006. Police said the number of people who died and got injuries in road accidents also rose.
Overall 329 road accidents were reported in January-March, up from 212 from a year ago. Armenian territorial ministry's rescue department said road accidents in the first quarter killed 48 people and injured 475. In the first quarter of 2006 these figures were 38 and 299 respectively. | | Full Story |
|
May 13, 2007, /PanARMENIAN.Net/ "We have always declared these elections are accompanied by unprecedented distribution of bribes, and their results can be called victory of campaign bribes," Stepan Demirchyan, leader of People's Party of Armenia (PPA) stated, who currently participates in the on-going protest of the radical "Impeachment" block.
He said, the party cannot accept the results of the so-called "elections". Commenting on statements of international observers leader of PPA underlined observers give standard formulations, but the number of people who have gathered in the Square prove that the society does not accept the results of these election. Outwardly elections really passed in a quieter atmosphere than it was in 2003, however observers were well informed about violations during the whole process, Demirchyan stated. | | Full Story |
|
May 11, 2007, ArmeniaLiberty.org, By Ruzanna Stepanian - Many Armenians on Friday appeared to have not yet decided who to vote for in the weekend parliamentary elections despite one month of aggressive campaigning by the country's leading political parties.
Random polling by RFE/RL on the streets of Yerevan showed that a considerable part of the electorate lacks enthusiasm about the elections seen as a major test of Armenia's democratic credentials. | | Full Story |
|
 May 10, 2007, ArmeniaLiberty.org, By Emil Danielyan - President Robert Kocharian expressed hope late Thursday that Armenians will hand political parties loyal to him a comfortable majority in the parliament that will be elected on Saturday.
Kocharian predicted that none of them will win an absolute majority of seats in the next National Assembly. He indicated his belief that that Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian's Republican Party (HHK) will win a plurality of votes in the elections.
"It is extremely important that the new parliament and the president be able to cooperate," he told Armenia's leading TV stations in an interview. "If there is a confrontation between these two state institutions, it is the people that will suffer." | | Full Story |
|
 Yerevan, May 9, 2007, Armenpress: Prime minister Serzh Sarkisian and members of his government visited today the Yerablour cemetery, where many Armenians fallen in the Karabakh war, were laid to rest, to remember their brothers- in- arms.
In a related news in commemoration of the 15-th anniversary of liberation of the town of Shushi in Nagorno-Karabakh president Kocharian decreed to award medals to 1.760 servicemen and volunteers for their contribution to the victory.
Later in the day prime minister Serzh Sarkisian, other government officials and hundreds of gray-haired war veterans paid tribute to Armenians fallen in World War II at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Yerevan's Victory Park. Hundreds of younger Armenians laid flowers by its eternal fire. | | Full Story |
|
