CALLS FOR CLOSE MONITORING OF TURKEY’S ‘IMPLEMENTATION’ TO MEET MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA
BRUSSELS (Reuters)–The European Commission praised Turkey on Thursday for taking a key step to reduce the political role of its powerful armed forces and said practical implementation of reforms was vital to advance its EU bid. The European Union executive–which must recommend to EU [...]

YEREVAN (Armenpress)–Over twenty teachers from the Diaspora have gathered in Armenia to undergo training at the Yerevan State Pedagogical University’s scientific and educational center. The training program is the fourth of its kind.
The opening ceremonies attracted a myriad of dignitaries–including Armenia’s Minister of Education and Science Sergo Yeritsian–rector of Yerevan State University Radik Martirosian–Deputy Chairman [...]

YEREVAN (ARF Press Office)–Senior officials of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) and the Ramgavar Azadagan Party of Armenia (HRAG) met at the ARF Simon Vratsian center on July 30 to discuss a wide range of issues. Participating were ARF Armenia Supreme Body (SB) Representative Armen Rustamian–SB members Spartak Seyranyan and Ardavasd Darbinian–and newly elected HRAG [...]

GLENDALE–Central Executive representatives of the Armenian Youth Federation of the Eastern United States–the Western United States–as well as the Central Executive of the ARF Youth Organization of Canada held an official meeting on Saturday–July 26 at AYF offices in Glendale–California.
The representatives presented their respective region’s programs–projects–and activities–and discussed further development of closer communication and cooperation [...]

ANKARA (AFP)–Joint naval exercises between Israel–the US and Turkey will take place off the coast of Turkey in the waters of the eastern Mediterranean Sea–Turkish military sources reported on Wednesday.
Similar "Search and Rescue" training exercises have taken place between the naval forces of the three countries since the launch of the program in1998; they will [...]

ANKARA (Reuters)–Turkey passed a landmark legal reform on Wednesday to curb the political influence of its powerful military–a step Ankara says should win it membership talks with the European Union next year.
Brussels says it will not hold accession talks with Turkey–the only EU candidate with a mainly Muslim population–without it first implementing a whole series [...]

THREE ADDITIONS BRING TOTAL NUMBER OF SENATE SUPPORTERS TO THIRTY-FOUR
WASHINGTON–DC–Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd (D)–Minnesota Senator Mark Dayton (D)–and Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski (D) are the latest Senators to pledge their support for the Genocide Resolution (S.Res.164)–adding their names to a broad bipartisan group of 34 Senators co-sponsoring this measure–reported the Armenian National Committee of America [...]

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–The Armenian government has formally approved a parliament bill that will offer young men who have evaded compulsory military service the option of buying a legal pardon–officials said on Wednesday.
The bill–passed by the National Assembly in the first reading last November–will exempt the fugitive draft dodgers who are 27 and older from criminal prosecution [...]

GLENDALE–The Homenetmen Glendale Ararat Chapter–the largest in the Western United States–marked 25 years of providing Armenian youth the opportunity to participate in scouting and athletic activities with a celebration that took place on Sunday–July 27 at Glendale High School.
More than 3,000 people came to not only enjoy the athletic events–various activities–and even a stroll down [...]

ANKARA (AFP)–On the eve of his visit to Ankara–Syrian Prime Minister Mustapha Miro said that regional countries such as Turkey–Iran and Syria should strengthen their ties in order to resist US efforts to reshape the Middle East.
The meeting takes place amid US warnings to Turkey–a longstanding Muslim ally and NATO partner–not to contradict Washington’s policy [...]

BRUSSELS–In a letter to senior European Union (EU) officials–the European Coalition Against the Policy of Denial in Turkish Schools has urged the EU to not only condemn the recent Turkish Ministry campaign mandating the instruction of the denial of the Armenian Genocide as a part of Turkey’s national curriculum–but to also suspend education assistance to [...]

YEREVAN (Armenpress)-Armenian Foreign Affairs Minister Vartan Oskanian traveled with a delegation of six foreign Ambassadors to the capital of Mountainous Karabagh Republic (MKR) on Monday to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the establishment of MKR’s foreign affairs ministry.
MKR president Arkadi Ghukasian–who also served as the first foreign minister of Karabagh–along with members of MKR’s central [...]

WATERTOWN–With a grant from the United Nations Voluntary Fund on Disability–The Armenian Relief Society–Inc. (ARS) will implement a nationwide study on early identification of childhood disabilities in Armenia.
The ARS–in collaboration with the Armenian Ministry of Health and UNICEF Armenia–announced that the landmark study would contribute significantly to the development of a national program on early [...]

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–The longtime commander of Armenian border guard troops Major-General Levon Stepanian–was dismissed of his duties by President Robert Kocharian on Tuesday following the arrest of his deputy Colonel Vahan Mkhitarian on corruption charges.
Military prosecutors and the National Security Service said Mkhitarian is suspected of "large-scale bribery" and will face criminal prosecution. They also said [...]