The Armenian Assembly of America commends Berman's ongoing leadership regarding the need to unequivocally affirm the Armenian Genocide.

July 19 marked the beginning of negotiations on Associative Agreement between Armenia and the European Union. The beginning of negotiations clearly outlines the frames and format of the upcoming cooperation of Brussels with Yerevan, Tbilisi and Baku. Of course, it will seem strange to an average citizen that parallel with its recent and rather ambitious initiative of “Eastern Partnership” the EU suddenly decides to start another project in the region. However, the associative agreement never means that Europe opens up its gates and hurries to accept new members. Taking into account the post-recession condition in the EU member-states, Brussels alertly treats its eastern neighbors’ aspiration for joining the “European club”.

Wrestling: on July 21, Armenia’s Greco-Roman wrestler Arthur Alexanyan (weight class 84kg) won the champion’s title at Junior World Wrestling Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Earlier, Armenia’s Alexan Mikaelyan (weight class 60kg) won bronze.

The political week in Armenia started with congresses of the Armenian National Movement and Armenakan Ramkavar-Azatakan party. On July 17, Yerevan hosted the 16th congress of the Armenian National Movement. In his remarks, Armenia's first President Levon Ter-Petrosyan said that Armenia’s economic development is impossible without resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and normalization of relations with Turkey. Ter-Petrosyan also voiced confidence that the key to Armenian-Turkish reconciliation is in Russia’s hands.