Traditionally, the political week in Armenia started with discussions on the Karabakh conflict settlement. Chairman of Prosperous Armenia party Gagik Tsarukyan said that Nagorno Karabakh can never be an article of commerce. “We should detect problems and solve them. Our basic principle is the achievement of goals and implementation of programs. Specifically, we aim to stir up activity for the international recognition of NKR,” he said. Tsarukyan also remarked that Russia has always been Armenia’s ally, thus his party will always be adherent to development and boosting of strategic, friendly and economic ties between the two countries.

With a single vote against, the Armenian National Assembly approved June 10 the report on 2009 national budget execution. “The year 2009 was a serious challenge for our economic and financial system,” Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said in his remarks during the discussion of the 2009 national budget execution.

Archeologists have found the oldest shoe in the world. The discovery came in a cave in the Vayotz Dzor region of Armenia, near the settlement of Areni which is known for its wine industry.

The Armenian National Statistical Service issued the results for IT sector in January-April 2010. According to the data provided, the revenue increased by 6.2% as compared with the 2009 index and totaled AMD 52.9 bln. During the reporting period, 459 computers were assembled, what is 3.4% more than last year (475). 2% drop was recorded in tariffs for communication services.

“Greater Middle East” is gradually becoming a reality. The struggle for the place of a regional power between Turkey and Iran, both bordering with Armenia, has slipped “under the carpet”, and let no one be caught at the support that Erdogan gives to the nuclear program of Iran. Armenia, in this case, must build relations with its neighbors, based on the belief “my enemy’s enemy is my friend”. And though this system sometimes fails, it works in general, and it will work in case of Armenia, especially since the relations were unruffled, and became even better after certain incidents. Similarly, the Israeli-Turkish relations may smoothly grow into Armenian-Israeli. But in the latter case there is still a long way to go.

2 countries will host World Chess Championship 2011, with 4 chess players to rival in Baku. The remaining 4, including Levon Aronian will compete in the country to be announced later. 7 out of 8 participants were announced: Levon Aronian (Armenia), Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria), Vladimir Kramnik (Russia), Magnus Carlsen (Norway), Gata Kamsky (USA) Boris Gelfand (Israel) and Timur Radjabov (Azerbaijan).

With passions over the demolition of Moscow Cinema Open-Air Hall fading, Yerevan residents launched a collection of signatures against construction under way in the Student Park. A group of public activists made a statement, saying that “construction works carried out in the Park can transform the urban green belt into another ferroconcrete structure.” “We are ready to use all legal tools to rescue the parks of Yerevan,” people say.