Author: Khondkarian Raffi

DAVID NALBANDIAN RANKED THIRD BY TENNIS ASSOCIATION
Armenpress
YEREVAN, JULY 11, ARMENPRESS: With 3,185 points, the
Argentinean-Armenian tennis-player David Nalbandian is the third
highest ranked by the Professional Tennis Association.
The list is topped by Roger Federer of Switzerland with 7,260 points,
the winner of the Wimbledon, followed by Rafael Nadal of Spain who has
5,125 points. Ivan Ljubicic from Croatia is fourth with 3, 125 points.

ARMENIAN AND LEBANESE FOREIGN MINISTERS GIVE HIGH ESTIMATION TO
RELATIONS BETWEEN TWO COUNTRIES
YEREVAN, JULY 11, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On July 11, Lebanese
Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh held a joint press conference with RA
Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian. The press conference was dedicated
to the evaluation of Armenian-Lebanese relations, prospects of
their development and summing up the results of the Lebanese Foreign
Minister’s visit to Armenia.
Both Ministers highly appreciated the current level of bilateral
relations between Armenia and Lebanon and pointed to great
possibilities of further development and deepening of these
relations. “The political will of both countries, the Armenian Diaspora
in Lebanon, as well as the legislative base contributes to development
of bilateral relations,” Vartan Oskanian declared.
He expressed satisfaction with the results of the meeting with
his Lebanese colleague: “I am content with the negotiations and I
think that Fawzi Salloukh’s visit will become a stimulus for further
development of bilateral relations between Armenia and Lebanon.”
In his turn, Fawzi Salloukh highly evaluated the activity of
the Armenian Diaspora in Lebanon: “Lebanon is proud that a large
Armenian Diaspora lives there. We are proud that Armenians make a
great contribution to the prosperity of Lebanon.”
The Lebanese Foreign Minister also declared that the Lebanese people
highly estimates the constructive role the representatives of the
Armenian Diaspora played in the complicated situation in the middle
of 70-s. H informed that he has invited Vartan Oskanian to take part
in the sitting of the Armenian-Lebanese Intergovernmental Commission
to be held in Lebanon.

Armenian, Georgian prime ministers talk up bilateral cooperation
By Christina Tashkevich
The Messenger, Georgia
July 10 2006
The number of tourists coming to Georgia from Armenia has tripled,
Georgian Prime Minister said over the weekend in Batumi, while Armenian
investors are also expressing much more interest.
“We are seeing intensive developments in Georgian-Armenian trade
and economic relations. This is not only the tripling of Armenian
tourists, which brings an additional USD 15-20 million revenue to
the country compared with last year, but also we see the more active
interest of Armenian investors towards the Georgian economy,” Zurab
Noghaideli said.
He met with Armenian Prime Minister, Andranik Margaryan, for the
fifth session of the Armenian-Georgian intergovernmental commission
on economic cooperation from June 7-10 in Batumi.
The sides discussed cooperation in the fields of agriculture, energy,
customs, transport and communication, education and tourism. The prime
ministers agreed to create a working group to discuss the possibility
of the reconstruction of the Kars-Gyumri-Tbilisi railway line.
Margaryan also said the Armenian government is ready to contribute
to rehabilitation programmes for the Javakheti region, which borders
Armenia and is 90 percent populated by ethnic Armenians. He said
Armenia agreed to participate in the reconstruction of several
educational facilities in Javakheti.
The Armenian side noted that an important contribution to the
improvement of relations between the two countries was the abolition
of road tax this spring. All types of transport entering Armenia from
Georgia no longer pay taxes, in line with a decision reached by the
governments this spring.
Previously, owners of public and cargo vehicles needed to pay between
USD 200-280, while owners of other cars USD 18-20 to pass from Georgian
territory into Armenia.
The forth session of the commission was held in last September
in Yerevan.
Both Georgia and Armenia note that several decisions taken at the
session last year have already been fulfilled. The governments signed
agreements on car communication between countries, on a joint crackdown
on car hijacking, and recently opened rail link Yerevan-Tbilisi-Batumi.

27 NEW AIDS CASES RECORDED IN ARMENIA IN JAN-MAY 2006
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
July 10 2006
YEREVAN, July 10. /ARKA/. Twenty-seven new AIDS cases and 26 new HIV
cases were recorded in Armenia in January-May 2006. The RA Statistical
Service reports that one HIV-infected child under 14 was registered
during the period under review.
Twenty-one AIDS cases and 27 HIV cases were recorded during the
corresponding period of last year.
In May 2006 alone, seven new AIDS cases and 11 new HIV cases were
recorded in Armenia against 0 and 3 cases in May 2005. In May 2006,
one HIV-infected child under 14 was registered. P.T. -0–

Georgia fumes as Russia closes border crossing
ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow
8 Jul 06
Stavropol, 8 July: The Russian high-altitude border crossing point
Verkhniy Lars on the Georgian Military Highway that links Russia and
Georgia was closed today for planned rebuilding work. As an ITAR-TASS
correspondent was informed at the headquarters of the Russian
Federation Federal Security Service’s North Caucasus directorate,
the repairs are being accompanied by a complete cessation of freight
and human transit both from Georgia and from Russia, and the Georgian
side was notified of this several months ago. “There was nothing
unexpected about this for anyone,” the agency’s source noted.
At the same time, as ITAR-TASS correspondent Eka Mekhuzla has reported
from Tbilisi, Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli has declared
that the Russian side’s decision to close traffic through the Verkhniy
Lars checkpoint “was not coordinated” with Tbilisi. According to
Noghaideli, he has “instructed the Georgian Foreign Ministry to
clarify the causes” of the Russian side’s closure of the checkpoint.
According to the HQ of the Russian Federation Federal Security
Service’s North Caucasus directorate, the Nizhniy Zaramag Russian
border crossing point continues to function round the clock on the
Russian-Georgian state border. It is based at the Roki Pass on the
Transcaucasus Highway. According to the HQ, “there are no queues
of vehicles or of citizens of Georgia or Russia crossing the border
there – there are no difficulties over border transit”.
“The volume of reconstruction at Verkhniy Lars is large. New border
control services fitted with the most up-to-date equipment will
be installed, and living conditions for officers and men are to
be fundamentally improved – so it is not possible at the moment to
name a date for the completion of the rebuilding work with sufficient
precision,” the HQ of the North Caucasus border directorate notes. The
only thing that is clear is that “Verkhniy Lars will resume operations
only when the upgrade work is fully completed”, the HQ said.
[The Georgian Foreign Ministry has issued an official statement
condemning the closure of the Verkhniy Lars border crossing as an
“unfriendly” act, according to RIA Novosti news agency, Moscow, in
Russian 1451 gmt 8 Jul 06. “This decision of Russia’s is an attempt
to put pressure on Georgia. We view the closure of the border as
an unfriendly and provocative act whose aim is to discredit Georgia
in the eyes of the world community and to put economic and political
pressure on it.” The ministry appealed to the “world community to make
an objective assessment of Russia’s calculated and improper actions
against Georgia so that a possible escalation of the situation can
be avoided and the situation on this sector of the Georgian-Russian
border can be defused in good time”.
The agency said the Russian charge d’affaires has been summoned to
the Georgian Foreign Ministry and handed a protest note that says
Georgian border guards were given two hours’ notice of the closure
by fax, when at least three months’ notice would have been required
under a 1993 agreement.
Speaking during a visit to Batumi, Armenian Prime Minister Andranik
Markaryan said the closure of Verkhniy Lars “will be a serious problem
for Yerevan” as agricultural produce from Armenia passes through the
crossing point, and the only alternative is the Georgian port of Poti,
RIA Novosti news agency, Moscow, in Russian 1518 gmt 8 Jul 06 said.]

Iran, Armenia sign energy agreement
United Press International
July 6 2006
TEHRAN, July 6 (UPI) — The Iranian and Armenian governments
Thursday reached seven agreements on energy, economy and industrial
infrastructure.
The memorandums of understanding were signed by officials in
the presences of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Armenian
counterpart, Robert Kocharian, Iranian news agency IRNA reported.
The two countries agreed to finance an electric power line project.
Armenia is landlocked, located in the Caucasus region, bordering
Georgia, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Iran.
Armenia does not have any oil or gas resources, but has rich mines
of gold, copper, zinc and lead.
Iran, a leading member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting
Countries, has vast oil and gas reserves.

PRESIDENT KOCHARYAN PROPOSED GENERAL AMNESTY
Lragir.am
06 July 06
On June 30 President Kocharyan offered the National Assembly a proposal
on granting general amnesty on the occasion of the 15th anniversary
of independence of Armenia. The proposal will be discussed in the
July 6 extraordinary meeting of the National Assembly.
The minister of justice Davit Harutiunyan says if the proposal of
Robert Kocharyan is enacted, 300 convicts will be released. According
to the chair of the State and Legal Committee Rafik Petrosyan, 700
inmates will be released.
Robert Kocharyan proposes amnesty for people who committed a crime
before June 1, 2006 including, and amnesty on the basis of disability
and age is for people, who were recognized disabled before the day
before the adoption of the decision on amnesty, or who became 60
years old before September 30, 2006.
In accordance with this bill, amnesty will be granted to persons
sentenced to three years of imprisonment, and persons put on
probation. Amnestry will be granted to convicts sentenced to five
years of imprisonment, who have disabilities of the 2nd or 3rd
categories and aged 60 and more, convicts who were under 18 at the
moment of committing the crime and do not have previous convictions,
as well as participants of the war. Amnesty will be granted to the
convicts sentenced to ten years of imprisonment, who have served 1/3
of the sentence. Generally, the list of prisoners, whom amnesty will
be granted, is rather long.

4 YEAR PASS SINCE ESTABLISHMENT OF STATE COMMITTEE FOR WORLD AZERBAIJANIS LIVING ABROAD
Today, Azerbaijan
July 6 2006
On Wednesday 4 year pass since establishment of State Committee for
World Azerbaijanis Living Abroad (SCWALA).
The associates of the Committee have visited the grave of Heydar
Aliyev for this occasion in Honorary Avenue, APA rports.
Committee Chief Nazim Ibrahimov told in his statement to journalists
that that Diaspora work in Azerbaijan is conducted in state level.
According to him, Armenians started to get worried of the active
activities of Azerbaijani Diaspora.
“Today Armenian emissaries visiting different places of the world
call on making their Diaspora organizations active. Our Diaspora
organizations have already gathered around Azerbaijani state and try
to bring our right voice to the world.”
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WORLD-FAMOUS FILM DIRECTOR TONINO GUERRA TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA IN DAYS OF GOLDEN APRICOT INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jul 5 2006
YEREVAN, JULY 5, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. World-famous film
director Tonino Guerra has also give consent to be present at the
Golden Apricot (Voske Tsiran) third international film festival. He
will be already the 5th greatest figure to be present at the festival
this year. In the 70-s Tonino Guerra had close contacts with Sergei
Parajanov and has always wished to see the talented cinematographer’s
homeland. Tonino Guerra will be given a prize after Parajanov on
hehalf of the Golden Apricot film festival for his great contribution
to the world cinema.
Informing about it at the July 5 press conference, festival Art
Director Susanna Haroutiunian said that the prominent guest will join
the festival some days late, on July 13, and will stay in Yerevan
until the festival ends.
Susanna Haroutiunian also informed that on the day of festival’s
opening, July 10, besides the film “Namous,” the 15-minute documentary
film “Andrei” by Arsen Azatian and Narine Mkrtchian shot in the 60-s,
dedicated to Andrei Tarkovski, will be also shown. The film contains
episodes regarding the period of the cinematographer’s life when he
was in Armenia.

ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER TO VISIT FRANCE IN OCTOBER
PanARMENIAN.Net
05.07.2006 18:28 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan will pay
a visit to France October 17-18. He will take part in the conference of
twin cities of Armenia and France to be held under the patronage of the
heads of the French Senate and the Armenian parliament, reported the RA
government’s press service. “I think this event will mark the opening
of the Year of Armenia in France,” Margaryan said. He assured Yerevan
will do the utmost to make the Year of Armenia in France a bright
event for the development of the friendly Armenian-French relations.