Weightlifting: Taiwan hosted 2nd World University Weightlifting Championships, where Armenia was represented by three sportsmen. Aghasi Aghasyan (weight class 77kg) won the champion's title, lifting 316kg in snatch, clean and jerk combination and surpassing his nearest competitor Nien-Peng Chiang (Taiwan ) by 33kg. Rubik Mamoyan (weight class 62kg) won a gold medal in snatch, lifting 120kg, but failed in clean & jerk. Meanwhile, Vardan Davtyan (weight class 94kg) won bronze medal, lifting 358kg in snatch, clean and jerk combination.

The widely-advertised policy of the Turkish Foreign Ministry - “zero problems with neighbors” - is, in fact, more applicable to Armenia than to Turkey. Except for the total absence of relations with Azerbaijan, Armenia is in relatively better terms with her neighbors than Iran, Georgia or Turkey. Moreover, Armenia has managed to maintain normal relations with the world powers, which in itself is very important. For such a small country without natural resources and with problematic neighbors, it is difficult to survive, constantly meddling in all regional affairs, as Turkey does.

The 1988 events in Sumgait, Azerbaijan, shocked the entire Armenianhood. Dozens of people were slaughtered, majority of them after tortures and severe beatings. Over 200 apartments were robbed and burnt. Thousands of refugees remained homeless. This year changed the lives of many people. 27-year-old Manvel Yeghiazaryan was not an exception…

Communication field proceeds totaled AMD 66.8 bln in January-May 2010. The figure grew by 10.6% as compared with the same period of 2009. 599 computers were assembled in Armenia in January-May 2010. 6.6% growth was recorded in computer production in January-May 2010 as compared with the same period of 2009, the Armenian National Statistical Service reported.

Political week started with discussions of the June 18 incident at the contact line between the NKR and Azerbaijani armed forces. Member of the Republican Party of Armenia, MP Gagik Melikyan said he doesn’t think that international institutions assumed a biased stance on the incident. Nevertheless, he emphasized that Azerbaijan should have been named as the provocateur. “It was not the time to make statements admissible for both sides,” he said, hailing the reaction of Armenian and Arstakh leaders, who gave a proper response to Azerbaijan.

Cbonds Russia & CIS Fixed Income Conference kicked off in Yerevan on July 1, bringing together 200 participants from Russia, Armenia, Ukraine, Belarus and other CIS member countries. According to NASDAQ OMX Armenia CEO, Armen Melikyan, Armenian developing capital market arouses interest of the conference participants.

Renowned Claudia Cardinale, who co-starred in Henri Verneuil’s Mayrig (Mother) film, will attend the opening ceremony of the festival. The actress will be awarded a silver copy of a thaler made by Sergei Parajanov during the years of his imprisonment.