US Secretary of State Extends Her Gratitude To The Cafesjian Center For The Arts in Armenia

The US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in a letter to the Director of Administration and the Acting Executive Director of the Cafesjian Center for the Arts Vahagn Marabyan thanked the Center for hosting her meeting with Armenian civil society leaders.

“The center is a magnificent landmark and a wonderful symbol of Armenian- American cooperation. Our tour of the Cafesjian sculpture garden and the Chihuly gallery was one of the highlights of my visit to Yerevan”, the letter of Secretary Clinton said.

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visited the Cafesjian Center for the Arts on July 5th, 2010. In her honor, a glass sculpture by Sidney Hutter was placed on exhibit – similar to the one by the same artist, added to the White House Craft Collection in 1993. The sculpture, known as the “White House Vase”, is now in the William J. Clinton Presidential Library.  Read more... (242 words)

Jailed Former High Ranking Armenian Officials Deny Bribery Charges

Two former high-ranking officials from the Armenian Ministry of Environment Protection arrested on bribery charges last December denied any wrongdoing as they faced lengthy prison sentences during their trial in Yerevan on Thursday.

Tigran Grigorian, the former head of the ministry’s State Ecological Inspectorate (SEI), and his deputy Arsen Petrosian were taken into custody after law-enforcement officers found large sums of cash in their offices.

Prosecutors say they received a total of 5 million drams ($13,700) from a mining company in the northern town of Akhtala that was inspected by them late last year. Grigorian and Petrosian were charged with receiving the kickback to drastically reduce 202 million drams in fines slapped on the company for violations of environmental safety rules.  Read more... (386 words)

US Capitol Ideas Series challenges Armenian Interns

The 2010 Terjenian- Thomas Assembly Summer Internship participants have met with several elected officials as part of the “Capitol Hill Ideas Series,” which is designed to provide a greater understanding and perspective regarding the inner- workings of Congress. Students have the opportunity to engage with their elected officials face to face allowing them to question and seek better understanding from the politicians that represent their communities.

During their meeting with Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA), the interns discussed the importance of the Armenian Genocide resolution, as well as other current issues, including the overall economic crisis, the national unemployment rate, and the oil spill affecting the Gulf Coast states  Read more... (482 words)

Armenia-Iran: Common Goals, National Interests

In light of international sanctions imposed on Iran as well as speculations about a possible preemptive strike on the Islamic Republic, it is in the national interests of Armenia not to allow a war in the region. It is this interest that might explain a boost in Iranian-Armenian relations.

While a number of Iranian-Armenian economic projects, such as ambitious plans for a railway construction project, construction of large processing enterprises and others, appear to be stalling, political cooperation is becoming more and more tangible.

Experts attribute the new wave of Iranian-Armenian warming primarily to the Karabakh subject.  Read more... (545 words)

Armenian Government Moves To Cut Brandy Imports

In a potentially massive boost to Armenia’s winegrowers, the government decided on Thursday to ban local brandy producers that use imported alcohol from branding it as “Armenian cognac.”

Sarkisian added that brandy distilleries using the slightest dose of imported grape spirits will have to call their production “arbun,” a term which was coined by Armenian linguists and approved by the government in May.  Read more... (366 words)

Georgia’s Leadership Launches Policy of Forcing Armenians To Leave Javakhk

Member of Republican Party of Armenia parliamentary group Shirak Torosyan said that the Georgian leadership has launched a new policy of forcing Armenians to leave Javakhk.

A new program has been approved for Armenian schools of Javakhk. According to the program, the number of lessons of the Armenian language and literature has been cut by two times, Torosyan told a press conference in Yerevan.

According to him, the Georgian authorities aim to eradicate the Armenian language in Javakhk, what is a rough violation of national minorities’ rights.

“The anti-Armenian policy of Georgia’s leadership is exceeding all bounds,” said Torosyan.  Read more... (833 words)

Armenia Warns it will Chose “Other Ways” If Baku Fails To Approve Latest Minsk Group Proposals

Armenian President Serge Sargsyan met with a group of young Armenians from the “Miasin” (“Together”) movement camping near Lake Sevan together with a group of young people from Diaspora.

The President asnwered a number of questions most of them concerning the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Armenian-Turkish, and Armenia-Diaspora relations.

Serge Sargsyan said some new proposals have been put on the table of negotiations which Azerbaijan was expected to approve or decline at the trilateral meeting (presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Moscow) in Saint Petersburg.

“If Baku approves the Minsk group proposals, negotiations will continue, and if it does not, some other ways will be chosen. Yes, the negotiations are going on. The latest proposals were presented in Saint Petersburg. We say, that the document allows us to proceed with the talks. Let’s see what Azerbaijan will say to that,” he said.  Read more... (215 words)

Would Azerbaijan Give Up Oil in Exchange For Karabakh?

Despite the statements quite frequently voiced by the Azeri authorities on the possibility of resuming hostilities against Armenia, it is yet extremely premature to speak about prospects of a new war. There are no objective prerequisites in current circumstances that would indicate launch of war in the near future.

Azerbaijan is building its statehood on oil, and oil tariffs nowadays reflect quite positively on main economic indicators. In that view it is highly unlikely that Azerbaijan would go for a cardinal change of situation, especially with most indefinite outcome prospects.

What tangible loss would Azerbaijan suffer in case of resuming the war over Karabakh?

First of all it is Azerbaijan’s appeal for investors in the oil sector, in other words – the only stable base for state construction.  Read more... (723 words)

Armenia, EU Start Talks On The Association Agreement

The talks on the Association Agreement between the Republic of Armenia and the European Union kicked off in Yerevan today. Before that Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian had a meeting with the delegation negotiating on behalf of the European Union headed by Gunnar Vigand, Chairman of the Directorate for East Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia.

“Our wish to deepen the relations with the European Union was reiterated during President Serzh Sargsyan’s visit to Brussels in May,” Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said in his opening remarks.

“The ties between Armenia and the Armenian people with Europe are as old as the European Continent. They date back to the depth of centuries, to the times, when the enlightened sons of our nation were contributing to the formation of the value system called European values.  Read more... (305 words)