http://en.zhamanak.com/ Political news on Armenia and Caucasian region, analytical articles, interviews and more. http://en.zhamanak.com/article/892/ - Mr. Shahnazaryan, what is your estimation of the situation in the region after the five days long Russian-Georgian war? http://en.zhamanak.com/article/891/ Mr. Kharazian, do you see a shift in the Armenian leadership’s positions concerning normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/890/ The committee of protection of political prisoners issued a statement which holds: “Despite the appeals of innumerable human rights and other..."... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/889/ Serge Sargsyan says we should not demand or expect that our partner states do not have friendly relations with countries which are not friendly to... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/888/ Azerbaijan is not concerned over secret talks between Armenia and regional ally Turkey, a spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/887/ “It is not excluded that Armenia might be left out of the European family,” the Chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/886/ If someone dared to utter a word about the setup of a joint Armenian and Turkish commission to study historical facts concerning the genocide of... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/885/ Authorities in Armenia have again rejected an appeal for early release on parole by independent Armenian newspaper editor Arman Babajanian. http://en.zhamanak.com/article/884/ With international structures making efforts to bring the two opposing political camps in Armenia back to the “political path”, among a number of... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/883/ July 19 is the hundredth day of Serge Sargsyan’s presidency. Usually, this is the period when the first steps of a president are assessed and... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/882/ It was expected since the rally on July 20 that Robert Kocharyan would respond to Levon Ter-Petrosyan. It was also expected what Kocharyan... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/881/ The society has a natural question regarding the actions of the so-called new government of Armenia: are those actions a genuine wish... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/880/ On July 11 the leader of the Heritage Party Raffi Hovannisian said in his address to the conference of the party that the ad hoc committee to inquire... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/879/ The opposition accuses the government of replacing the gold reserve of Armenia by a foreign currency which generated less income than if... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/878/ The necessity of shaping a certain “third pole” is being considered more often. The press has written a lot about this issue, often ascribing that... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/877/ It turns out that despite the immense work load of March 1, the office of the prosecutor general continues to work toward other directions to... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/876/ The first president of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan addressed the rally of the Popular Movement of July 4. He spoke about the future activities of the... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/875/ A leading international human rights organization has called on the Armenian authorities to release the editor of a pro-opposition newspaper who was... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/874/ In Armenia only the lazy do not speech about the lack of confidence between the society and the government, and only the too lazy do not offer... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/873/ Serge Sargsyan’s statement about the Armenian and Turkish relations which he made during his visit to Moscow received response not only in... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/872/ The representatives of the Armenian government have recently stated that they need public confidence to bring into being the reforms they... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/871/ The representatives of the Republican Party regularly deny that the party has discussed the issue of replacing Speaker Tigran Torosyan by... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/870/ The U.S. co-chair of the Minsk Group Matthew Bryza stated that with regard to the settlement of the Karabakh conflict the approach of the new... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/869/ Europe's bill for Russian gas will rise by one-quarter by the end of 2008 and eventually double, Gazprom chief Alexei Miller said Thursday on a... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/868/ Review of U.S. Justice Department documents under the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended (FARA) has led to the disclosure of... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/867/ On 17 April 2008, the Parliamentary Assembly adopted Resolution 1609 (2008) on the functioning of democratic institutions in Armenia. In this... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/865/ On June 25 Abdullah Gul was present at the semi-final Germany-Turkey. It follows that from time to time Gul goes to football matches... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/864/ The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has voted to give Armenia another six months to comply with its demands for... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/863/ The Council of Europe this week puzzled many of its newer member states. http://en.zhamanak.com/article/862/ A few weeks ago in the Turkish press there was reference to the conference, by the NGO I lead, the Analytical Center on Globalization and... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/861/ One of the most dramatic stories in a world facing record-high energy prices has been the relentless rise of Azeri, Kazakh and Russian Caspian oil... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/860/ Over the past 10 days, representatives of ethnic minorities in Azerbaijan have issued two separate public statements affirming their fear of... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/859/ Ex-Soviet Azerbaijan staged its first military parade in 16 years on Thursday in a show of strength aimed partly at Armenia, its... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/857/ Perhaps the nation owes the person to whom the idea of the Pan-Armenian Bank first occurred. We can only imagine how many sleepless nights... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/856/ Just two months since the inauguration of Armenia's third president, simmering political tension continues to plague the new... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/855/ Usually the political forces of Armenia say in response to observations of lack of quality and effectiveness of their actions that the quality of... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/854/ The meeting of Presidents of Armenia and Russia will promote closing and integration of the two countries. http://en.zhamanak.com/article/853/ On a scale from one to seven, where lower means more democratic, Armenia scores 5.21, according to the latest annual report of a U.S.-based pro-... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/852/ Until recently bribery was considered to be a moral problem, not a social-political one. Consequently, as in the case of other criminal offences, it... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/851/ After Armenia received its best result ever this year with Sirusho, the world-famous rock band System of a Down shown a keen interest in... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/850/ Protesters have gathered in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, for the first major opposition demonstration since 10 people died as a result of postelection violence in March. http://en.zhamanak.com/article/849/ The appointment of the ex-head of police Haik Harutiunyan as the head of the state security service proved once again that the so-called new... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/848/ On June 19 Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan met with reporters and appealed to the society through them. The prime minister begged for assistance... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/847/ WASHINGTON — The nominee to be the U.S. ambassador to Armenia avoided using the phrase "Armenian genocide" in her Senate... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/846/ Armenia made European headlines for two reasons in the past few months -- one bad and one good. http://en.zhamanak.com/article/845/ Turkey has long been a haven of geo-political stability. But, since 2003, Turkey’s virtually unquestioned alliance with the United States has... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/844/ In the past Russia strongly protested the expansion of NATO to include Central European states that were Soviet clients and former... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/843/ ...to Restore the Democratic Momentum Statement before the House Foreign Affairs Committee Washington, DC June 18, 2008 http://en.zhamanak.com/article/842/ Strasbourg, 18.06.2008 Television is a very influential part of the media. Decisions of regulatory bodies on the award, refusal or withdrawal of a broadcasting licence can... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/841/ In the context of the current reality of Armenia when the implementation of the PACE resolution has become a subject of general discussion or... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/840/ Why should reforms in our country be determined by the attitude of European organizations? This question is often heard from both government and... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/839/ Madame Secretary: I am writing to draw your attention to the deteriorated human rights situation in Armenia, and the need for sustained U.S. effort in helping... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/838/ Turkey has opened all of its archives to researchers looking into killings that took place in 1915 because it is a country at peace with its... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/837/ In recent years Turkey has geared up its efforts to diversify its energy sources. The State Planning Agency estimated that there is a need for an $80... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/836/ Very soon, every citizen of Armenia will be making a decision. Each citizen will have to decide whether he or she will be venturing out to join... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/835/ Plans for a large-scale opposition rally on June 20 are sparking concerns about the likelihood of fresh violence on the eve of a critical vote in the... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/834/ The European Court of Human Rights has today notified in writing its Chamber judgment1 in the case of Meltex Ltd and Mesrop Movsesyan v. Armenia (application no. 32283/04). http://en.zhamanak.com/article/833/ The National Assembly of Armenia passed the bill on setting up an ad hoc parliament committee to study the events of March 1 and 2, 2008 in Yerevan. http://en.zhamanak.com/article/832/ One of the recently notable issues of the home political life in Armenia is the replacement of the speaker of parliament... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/831/ The European Union views the establishment of democracy and rule of law in Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan as being critical elements in the... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/830/ Turkey opened to researchers its most secret archives regarding the incidents of 1915, Turkish President Abdullah Gul said on Tuesday. http://en.zhamanak.com/article/829/ Interview with Walter Swimmer, chairman of the International coordination committee of the world public forum "Dialogue of civilizations" and former CE Secretary General. http://en.zhamanak.com/article/828/ 1. The global scene Trasncaucasia and Central Asia are still key conflict areas in the post-Soviet territory... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/827/ Armenian groups trying to protect the Teghut forest confront a familiar obstacle: the government. http://en.zhamanak.com/article/826/ On the second anniversary of imprisonment of Arman Babajanyan, the editor-in-chief of the Zhamanak Yeravan, Babajanyan’s supporters... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/825/ U.S. Justice Department has released materials establishing the use of paid lobbying by Armenian President, then Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/824/ One of the main questions that occur in the context of the home political processes in Armenia is the interrelation of Robert Kocharyan and... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/823/ His name was a recurring chant at opposition rallies following Armenia’s disputed February 19 presidential vote. Opposition leaders believed that... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/822/ Senate Confirmation Hearing for Ambassador Yovanovitch Set for June 19 http://en.zhamanak.com/article/821/ The construction of the 76km long section of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway project in Turkey will start in July. http://en.zhamanak.com/article/820/ William Saroyan was born 100 years ago and 7,000 miles away. But Armenia is determined to remember him. http://en.zhamanak.com/article/819/ Turks favor presumptive US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama over his Republican rival, John McCain, but... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/818/ Russia pushed for stronger ties among members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), while promoting integration with its closer allies... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/817/ U.S. Justice Department has released materials establishing the use of paid lobbying by Armenian President, then Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan, to conduct personal image and reputation-building in the U.S. and Europe, costing some $331,666... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/816/ The practice of the government to hold meetings of government in the regions which the government launched from June 12 may certainly change the... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/815/ In the parliamentary briefings on June 13 Member of Parliament Vahan Hovanisyan, ARF Dashnaktsutyun, commented on... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/814/ On June 13 the ex-minister of justice Davit Harutiunyan who now is the chair of the National Assembly Committee of State and Legal Affairs... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/813/ Dear Ladies and Gentlemen! When Azerbaijan and Armenia became members if the Council of Europe in January of 2001... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/812/ Since the removal of the State of Emergency, Freedom Square, having been witness to a number of “dangerous” days, has been defended by... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/811/ Baroness Caroline Cox, member of UK House of Lords, has addressed a letter to the editor of The Guardian over Alexandros Petersen’s article published in the newspaper on June 7. http://en.zhamanak.com/article/810/ Russia’s plans to “reinforce” its airbase at Kant in the Kyrgyz Republic and further strengthen its 201st Motor Rifle Division (MRD) in Dushanbe... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/809/ Arshak Sadoyan who accuses the government of rigging the election, at least he says that his party or the presidential candidate he endorsed had... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/808/ We have at our disposal certain documents from the US Department of Justice which indicate that during 2007-2007 Serzh Sargsyan... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/807/ My country is the country that began with separatism, and after we get gained our independence, many separatists appealed to us... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/806/ Armenia’s new government has taken the first steps towards a shake-up of its notoriously corrupt and inefficient tax and customs agencies. http://en.zhamanak.com/article/805/ The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Serzh Sarkisian and Ilham Aliyev, met for one hour on June 6 on the sidelines of a CIS summit in... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/804/ String of natural calamities poses major challenge for cash-strapped government. http://en.zhamanak.com/article/803/ (First appeared in Armenian in Zhamanak (Yerevan, June 7, 2008) We have at our disposal certain documents from... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/802/ Has Robert Kocharyan left or does he continue to run the system of public administration? Perhaps many people are now asking this question to... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/801/ As oil prices rise relentlessly to record-high levels, relations between the United States and Iran, OPEC's third-largest producer, continue to worsen... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/800/ AAA Newsagency - As US president George W. Bush has announced Marie L. Yovanovitch and James F. Jeffrey to serve as ambassadors to the... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/799/ On Monday morning, June 9th, Jirayr Sefilyan was released from the Vardashen criminal detention center. Although Mr. Sefilyan, a Karabakh War... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/798/ On June 5, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza arrived in Moscow. In the Russian capital, he met with Russia’s Deputy... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/797/ Prosecutor Aghvan Hovsepyan has gained such importance in the political system of Armenia the prosecutors general of other states, neither... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/796/ What should the ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan do other than what they did in the first Sargsyan-Aliyev meeting during the energy... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/795/ (AP) — What would prompt a young family to abandon a comfortable life and move to a poor country where running water is still a luxury for... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/794/ The new program of government is so general that if we rename the Republic of Armenia Bangladesh, the applicability of the program to the given... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/793/ The stance of the human rights defender which he now displays, actually standing up against the law enforcement system and putting forward rather... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/792/ Since his inauguration less than two months ago, Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian has been hobbled by a daunting set of challenges, ranging... http://en.zhamanak.com/article/791/ The attitude regarding the fulfillment of the demands put forth by the resolution adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of...