The federal law on introduction of amendments to the law on legal position of foreign citizens in Russia took effect July 1.

Armenia is welcoming guests from various countries, with travel agents summing up the results of the first half-year.

On July 2, Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan met with OSCE MG Co-chairs, Ambassadors Bernard Fassier of France, Robert Bradtke of the U.S. and Igor Popov of Russia as well as Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk, who arrived in Yerevan after visiting Artsakh Republic. The parties exchanged views on the situation at the line of contact between NKR and Azerbaijani armed forces. Minister Ohanyan hailed the mediators’ endeavors for achievement of a peaceful and acceptable settlement to the conflict.

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.