On May 18, 2010 Armenian National Assembly approved the law on compulsory insurance of motor vehicles, which envisages payment of compensation to people who suffered in car accidents. Sale of insurance policies will start from October 1, 2010, with the law taking effect January 1, 2011.

Presidents of Georgia and Azerbaijan, following in the footsteps of their predecessors Heydar Aliyev and Eduard Shevardnadze, once again initiated a “project of the century”, this time a gas one. At the Baku meeting the Presidents together with the Leader of Romania Traian Basescu signed an agreement on the new energy project Azerbaijan-Georgia-Romania Interconnector (AGRI) for transportation of Azerbaijani liquefied gas to Europe.

Karabakh issue continues to dominate Armenia’s internal political agenda. Azerbaijani authorities turned provocations into tradition, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Shavarsh Kocharyan stated, referring to recent incident on the line of contact of NKR and Azeri armed forces. “Diversions aim at frustrating the mediators’ efforts toward maintaining ceasefire, withdrawal of snipers from the line of contact as well as promotion of conflict settlement negotiations,” he said. Kocharyan called on international community to give adequate assessment to Azerbaijan’s provocative actions, aimed at undermining the peace process.

Thousands of fans could not believe the news that the legendary Gérard Depardieu will visit Yerevan unless they saw this man, great in all senses, on the Armenian land.

Proceeds of the communication field totaled AMD 95.4bln in Armenia in January-July 2010 that is 3.2% higher as compared with the same period in 2009. - 923 computers were assembled in Armenia during the reporting period, registering 17% growth compared with January-July 2009. 198 computers were assembled in July 2010.

Football: Football Academy opened in Yerevan on September 1 with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and UEFA President Michel Platini participating in the ceremony. According to FFA President Ruben Hayrapetyan, the project cost $12 million of which $ 7 million 475 thousand was allocated by the UEFA and $400 thousand by FIFA. The territory of the Academy covers 13 thousand m2. It has 5 playing fields, 2 pools and several gyms. “UEFA built many academies in Europe but the one in Yerevan is special,” Mr. Platini noted.

For dozens of centuries Armenians had been celebrating the New Year, Navasard, on August 11. Once a favorite popular holiday, it now became a topic of historians’ remarks or Armenian folklore only. “August 11 is the first day of the new year according to the ancient Armenian calendar. It was celebrated by all – the rich and the poor,” said ethnographer Gohar Vardumyan, senior fellow at the Armenian National Academy of Sciences.