The Eastern Partnership put forth in May 2008 aims at approximation of 6 post soviet republics (Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Belarus with the European Union. The initiative appears as a platform for visa and trade agreements but doesn’t guarantee EU membership.

Information security was in the focus of discussions over the past week. Armenian bloggers have created wiki.hayqpress.com internet resource as an alternative to largest internet encyclopedia – Wikipedia. The created resource provides unbiased and neutral information on Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.

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.

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.