Consumption of vodka grows when political problems emerge, according to chairman of the Union of Armenian Winemakers Avag Harutyunyan. It’s not a secret that political situation gets more tensed, with the false start to the 2012 parliamentary election given.To prove his viewpoint, he presented the statistical data on alcoholic drinks in Armenia.

“Brotherly” relations between Iran and Azerbaijan are now thing of the past. Throughout last week official Baku accused Iran of all mortal sins, the most essential of them being, of course, cooperation with Armenia. But the most interesting point is that all this is presented to the Azerbaijani people as “an attempt of Iran to interfere in the internal affairs of Azerbaijan.”

Chess: Levon Aronian finished 3rd at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk Aan Zee. Hikaru Nakamura of the United States won the tournament with 9 points, followed by Viswanathan Anand of India. Gabriel Sargissian came 5th in tournament B, which was won by Luke McShane (England).

Over the past week, cultural life in Armenia and abroad featured a number spectacular events.

Political events in Armenia focused on the possible outcomes of the 2012 parliamentary election.