WASHINGTON–In a move widely seen as intended to calm Turkish anger over growing strains in its ties with the United States, Senators Robert Byrd (D-WV) and Gordon Smith (R-OR) have introduced legislation which ignores key points of tension in this relationship and offers unconditional praise to Turkey and its leaders, reported the Armenian National Committee [...]

YEREVAN (Armenpress)–It’s regretful that Levon Ter-Petrosyan is returning to the field of politics and bringing with him the same malice that destroyed the Armenian National Movement, President Robert Kocharian told journalists Wednesday. Kocharian made his remarks after a journalist asked him to comment on accusations the ex-president leveled on the incumbent administration in a 90-minute [...]

YEREVAN (Armenpress)–Two prominent members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation leadership Tuesday told a crowd of party activists and voters in the Kanaker-Zeitun district of Yerevan that the ARF will be conducting a fair election campaign for next year’s presidential election; it will neither engage in nor tolerate primitive political mudslinging “We do not have [...]

YEREVAN (Armenpress)–Finding a final solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict before next year’s presidential election in Armenia is unlikely, President Robert Kocharian told journalists today after inauguration a shooting ground in a Yerevan outskirt. Although admitting that some progress has been made in the negotiation process, Kocharian said he does not share the optimism of international [...]

YEREVAN (Armenpress)–Energy minister Armen Movsisian said last week that geologists will launch a massive campaign for uranium exploration later in the year. He said the investigation is expected to help specify the country’s untapped uranium reserves. Earlier this year in April the governmen’s of Russia and Armenia’signed an agreement on joint development of Armenia’s uranium [...]

YEREVAN (Armenpress)–Following Monday’s Parliamentary debates over a proposed budget for 2008, education and Science became one of the major beneficiaries of increased government spending and next year will receive a total of 110 billion drams. Education will receive 103.2 billion drams, a 20 percent increase over 2007. Secondary schools will receive 55.1 billion Drams, a [...]

Providence–Human rights activists at Brown University Friday rallied to protest genocide denier Congressman Robert Wexler’s (D-FL-19) visit to the campus Hilell House during a parent’s weekend dinner where he was to address the crowd about foreign affairs and the Middle East, reported the Providence chapter of the Armenian Youth Federation. Wexler, Co-chair of the Turkish [...]

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–Armenian Revolutionary Federation Bureua Chairmen Hrant Markarian criticized on Tuesday former President Levon Ter-Petrosian’s latest public speech, saying that it was too radical and lacked self-criticism. Markarian also insisted that Ter-Petrosian stands no chance of winning next year’s presidential election. He said Armenia’s are unhappy with their current and former rulers and only [...]

SIRNAK (AFP)–The Turkish army pounded members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) near the Iraqi border Tuesday as Ankara warned that ties with Washington would suffer as long as the Kurds enjoyed sanctuary in northern Iraq. Cobra helicopters fired missiles at PKK positions on the Cudi mountains in Sirnak province, which borders Iraq, where fighting [...]

WASHINGTON (Haaretz)–A Joint Security Dialogue between members of Congress and the Israeli Legislature, the Knesset, was convened last week, after which members of the delegation from the Knesset met with members of the Foreign Affairs Committee and discussed the committee’s decision to adoption H. Res. 106. Led by the efforts of Senator John Kyle (R-AZ) [...]

WASHINGTON–In Coordination with the Armenian National Committee of America, Western Prelate Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, a longtime supporter of the ANCA’s efforts to gain official recognition of the Armenian Genocide, was in Washington last week for official visits with members of Congress and legislative staff regarding H. Res. 106. Accompanying the Prelate on his visits [...]

MOSCOW–Turkey welcomes the establishment of diplomatic relations with Armenia, Turkish Ambassador to Russia Kurtulus Taskent told a news conference in Moscow. "I hope favorable conditions will be created for the establishment and development of diplomatic relations between our countries," Taskent said. He noted that due to certain reasons diplomatic relations cannot be established between [...]

GLENDALE–Former Mayor and City Councilmember Ginger Bremberg passed away Friday. Bremberg served as Mayor for four separate terms on the City Council including 1981-85; 1985-89; 1989-93 and 1997-01. She also served four terms as a Mayor including 1983-84; 1987-88; 1991-92 and 1999-00. She was very influential in creating and establishing recycling and waste management policies [...]

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–Armenia’s leadership and Russia’s visiting Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov pledged to step up the already close military cooperation between their nations as they held talks in Yerevan on Tuesday. Serdyukov’s one-day visit to Armenia involved separate meetings with President Robert Kocharian, Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian and Defense Minister Mikael Harutiunian as well as [...]