Armenia's Association Agreement with the European Union will foster the opening of its border with Turkey, MP from the ruling Republican Party of Armenia Gagik Minasyan told journalists on Monday.

He said that one of the key principles of the agreement is that there must be no closed borders. "Armenia is ready for a constructive dialogue. I am not cherishing the illusion that the border will be opened soon, but sooner or later our European integration efforts are bound to give results," Minasyan said.

The agreement is expected to be initialed in Vilnius in Nov 2013.

President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan has appointed Vache Gabrielyan as Minister-Head of the Staff of the Government of Armenia.

Gabrielyan was born in Yerevan in 1968. In 1990 he graduated from Economic Cybernetics Department of Yerevan State University, in 1998 from Public Administration Department of Rutgers University (New Jersey, USA). In 1998-1999 he was advisor of the Chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia, in 1999-2008 member of the CB's Board, in 2008-2010 Deputy Chairman of the CB, in 2010-2012 Finance Minister of Armenia. Earlier this year Gabrielyan was appointed as Head of the Staff of the Government of Armenia.

According to preliminary reports, member of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia Artur Muradyan has won the mid- term elections in the village of Proshyan, Kotayk region.

The Central Election Commission of Armenia reports that Muradyan has secured 1,317 votes, while his key rival Vova Sahakyan from the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutyun has received just 1,241 votes.

The former head of the Proshyan administration Hrach Muradyan was killed on Apr 2013. The police are investigating the case, with resident of the village Araik Petrosyan being the key suspect.

 We want to organize in France, in Strasbourg and also in Paris, meetings with Armenians and Azerbaijani people, Ambassador of France to Azerbaijan Pascal Meunier said in an interview to APA.

"The time for reconciliation has come. It is also an approach supported by the European Union, which also has proposed to organize contacts between people. It is very important. You cannot reconcile two nations if they are told by governments that they are enemies.  It is something that has to be done. I think it is understood by both sides of the conflict and we hope it will be reflected in actions," the Ambassador said.

When asked if frequent meetings in Paris mean that France is ready to play a more active role in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Meunier said that there is not any rivalry between the three co-chairs, they work together as a team. "Paris sometimes happens to be a very convenient place, because it is between the US and the Caucasus. But such meetings also took place in Krakow. So Paris is very happy to help, but it does not try to show-up," he said.

He said that many observers are not expecting a breakthrough in negotiations this year because of major elections in Armenia and Azerbaijan. "But it does not mean that it will be a lost year. I think it is a year to prepare new ideas and to discuss it with both sides.  And, in itself, is also a step forward," the Ambassador said.

 The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Ambassadors Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Jacques Faure of France, and Ian Kelly of the United States of America) and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, conducted a series of meetings in June and July to further develop ideas for a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

They met with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov in London on June 6 and Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian in Paris on June 28.  The Co- Chairs and the Ministers continued ongoing discussions on the substance of the peace process, focusing on means to reduce tensions between the sides and create conditions for a meeting at the highest levels later this year.

In a joint meeting in Vienna with the Co-Chairs on July 12, the two Foreign Ministers reiterated their commitment to these goals, and discussed plans for further talks in the months ahead.

On July 13, the Co-Chairs briefed OSCE ambassadors of the Minsk Group in Vienna. The Co-Chairs will coordinate closely with the sides to develop next steps.

Circles by Srdan Golubovic (Serbia) has won the Main Prize of Golden Apricot 2013 Yerevan International Film Festival.
The runner up (Silver Apricot) is Parviz (dir. by Majid Barzegar, Iran). 

Special Jury Mention has been awarded to Araf – Somewhere In-Between (Turkey/France/Germany).
The Main Prize of the Documentary Competition has gone to The Last Black Sea Pirates (dir. by Svetoslav Stoyanov, Bulgaria), with Special Mention awarded to A World Not Ours (dir. by Mahdi Fleife, UK).

The Main Prize of the Armenian Panorama competition has gone to I am Going to Change My Name (dir. by Maria Sahakyan, Armenia/Russia/Danmark). The runner up is Saroyanland (dir. by Lusin Dink, Turkey/Armenia/France).

The Main Prize of the Apricot Stone (Short Film) competition has gone to Welcome and… Our Condolences (dir. Leon Prudovsky, Israel), with Special Jury Mention awarded to The Mother (dir. by Lukasz Ostalski, Poland) and The Swing of the Coffin Maker (dir. Elmar Imanov, Germany).
FIPRESCI AWARD has been given to The Last Winter (dir.  by Salem Salavati, Iran), ECUMENIC Jury Award to Keep Smiling (dir. by Rusudan Chkonia, Georgia/France).

The festival took place in Yerevan July 7-14. The general sponsor of the event was VivaCell-MTS.

By making anti-Armenian statements from international tribunes Azeri politicians are just trying to assert themselves in the eyes of their own authorities, the head of the Armenian delegation to the PA BSEC Gagik Minasyan told journalists on Saturday.

He said that during the PA BSEC's ongoing plenary session in Sofia the head of the Azeri delegation Asaf Gajiyev said that Azerbaijan was unable to develop its tourism because 20% of its territory was "occupied" by Armenia. 

"He also said that in Armenia tourism could not develop because of human rights violations. We gave a worthy response to them, so, their insinuations had no effect," Minasyan said.

He said that during the session Turkey urged the PA BSEC to support its candidacy for hosting the 2020 Olympic Games. 

"We were the only delegation who did not support that initiative. We explained that Olympic Games are not just sports but a holiday of peace and kindness – something we do not see in Turkey - the country that continues blockading us. We could not act contrary to the Olympic ideals, so, we abstained from voting," Minasyan said.

MP from Prosperous Armenia Party Mikael Melkumyan believes that scandals around Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan are not a result of discrepancies within the government. 

Melkumyan told ArmInfo that to draw final conclusions it is necessary to wait for the results of the inquiry into the 'offshore scandal' and the end of the "war" between ARFD and Tigran Sargsyan. Prosperous Armenia prefers good relations with all the political forces if it does not damage the state and the public interests. I don't think that the other parties pursue different goals or seek a split in the leadership," he said.

It is widely rumored in the political circles in Armenia that there is a real 'war' between Tigran Sargsyan and Hovik Abrahamyan ahead of the presidential election of 2018. The prime minister and the speaker unleashed that 'smear war' with the only goal to weaken each other ahead of the presidential election. As a result, there was leak of 'confidential' information against Sargsyan and Abrahamyan regarding the offshore scandal and misuse of the $2 million provided by the government for organization of Shanhai-2012 exhibition. To recall, Armenia's Ambassador to China is the brother of Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan.   Earlier, Hrant Margaryan, ARFD Bureau representative, in an interview with RFE/RL Armenia service, said that Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan has openly declared war against ARF Dashnaktsutyun Party. In response, the Finance Ministry Inspectorate conducted inspections in the Ararat region and found out that Jonik Abrahamyan, the speaker's brother, received and misused 48,000 liters of diesel fuel the government had provided to the vulnerable rural residents at preferential prices.  

Nevertheless, sources close to the Republican Party say that at the meeting of the Republican Party Executive Body, the president reprimanded the prime minister for 'sending' financial inspectors to the 'Abrahamyans family.' According to the given sources, the president was displeased with the open criticism the ruling party representatives lever at each other. Earlier, Serzh Sargsyan reprimanded the parliamentary majority, particularly, the parliament leadership, for their behavior with regard to the Control Chamber's report. To recall, after the Control Chamber's report was introduced in the parliament, Hovik Abrahamyan harshly criticized the government structures for misuse of the budget funds. Later, the above Inspectorate of the Finance Ministry made public the data on the diesel fuel received by Abrahamyan's family at a preferential price. 

Areximbank-Gazprombank Group has become the first Armenian bank to issue Eqvilibria cards.

The press service of Areximbank-Gazprombank Group reports that this is part of the bank's Priority VIP service package.Eqvilibria Club is the world's biggest system of premium card services. Based on advanced technologies, it offers special preferences for those wishing to buy high-class goods and services as well as access to unique Internet opportunities. 

Eqvilibria cards are accepted in 12 countries, including Armenia. Among the holders are prominent politicians, top managers, showbiz and sport celebrities.
The Priority package includes VISA Gold, MasterCard Gold, Countdown and IAPA services, special currency exchange rates, Internet banking and Telecard services. 
According to ArmInfo's Armenian Banks in Card Business bulletin, as of Apr 1 2013 Areximbank-Gazprombank Group had 27,000 active international cards, of which 70% were VISA cards. The bank has 76 ATMs and 339 POS-terminals. In 2012 it started issuing local ArCa cards.

 In 2012 the clientele of Orange Armenia CJSC shrank by 2% from 579,927 to 569,578 active subscribers.  
Orange Armenia's report says that in 2012 the company recorded 8.598bln AMD loss against 62.3bln AMD in 2011. The income rose from 13.9bln AMD to 20.2bln AMD, the authorized capital dropped from 50.6bln AMD to 23.7bln AMD.
The company's CEO Francis Gelibter told ArmInfo earlier that in 2013 Orange Armenia will start working at profit and financing itself without the support of its owner, France Telecom.
The company has been loss-making since its very first day in Armenia (Nov 5 2009): in 2009 its net loss was 9.2bln AMD, in 2010 14.5bln AMD, in 2011 62.3bln AMD.
Orange Armenia is 100% subsidiary of France Telecom and provides mobile and Internet services in Armenia. In Nov 2008 it was licensed to operate the country's GSM network for 15 years.

Today, the maximum buying rates at commercial banks of Yerevan were 409,5 drams for 1 dollar, 533,5drams for 1 EUR and 12,5 drams for 1 Russian ruble. The minimum selling rates stood at 410,5 drams for 1 dollar, 537,5 drams for 1 EUR and 12,6 drams for 1 Russian ruble . 

The statements that Russia supplies military hardware to Azerbaijan and increases the gas prices for Armenia allegedly to impede the EU-Armenia Association Agreement does not meet reality. The remarks came from Hungarian political scientist, Professor of Political Science Laszlo Kemeny in response to a question by ArmInfo as to whether Russia increased the gas prices for Armenia and supplied arms to Azerbaijan to prevent the EU-Armenia Association Agreement. 

He said that arms supply to Azerbaijan and the increase in the gas prices for Armenia pursued a goal of economic benefit. "Russia is well aware that it must not allow an armed conflict to break out in the South Caucasus. There is a Russian-Armenian Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance signed in 1997 wherein the two parties pledge to take measures admissible to them to prevent threats against their countries," the expert said. He thinks that any supply of arms to the conflict zone aggravates tension. 

Nevertheless, Laszlo Kemeny said, the EU-Armenia Association Agreement does not depend on the given circumstance, not least because the EU as part of its Eastern Partnership Project is preparing a similar treaty with Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova. Armenia must establish its relationships in the new world and geopolitical systems independently, he said. 

It is expected that the EU-Armenia Association Agreement will be initialed in November in Vlinius.

Areximbank-Gazprombank Group offers its customers reliable mechanisms to protect savings from currency risks and diversify currency risks, says Narine Sargsyan, Head of the Department for Financial Operations at Areximbank-GPB Group. 

 The U.S. will intensify its activity in the OSCE Minsk Group and do its best to enhance the opportunities for the final resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Richard Morningstar told reporters in Baku on Friday, when commenting on the upcoming meeting of Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen and Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, in Vienna, Azerbaijani media reported.

While commenting on the incident with Moldovan ombudsman Aurelia Grigoriu after her speech in the Armenian Parliament, the ambassador said: "Taking into account my position, it would be better if I refrained from commenting," Morningstar said. "It would be better if the issue was resolved by Moldova, Armenia and Azerbaijan."

To recall, at an international conference in Yerevan, Moldovan Parliamentary Advocate Aurelia Grigoriu said that Armenia "had occupied 20% of Azerbaijan's territory and committed genocide against Azeri people". This statement caused a wide public response. 

Turkish Foreign Ministry has commented on Armenian Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepyan's statement saying that Armenia's historical lands in the present territory of Turkey should be returned. 

APA reports the Turkish Foreign Ministry as declaring, "Prosecutor General's statements reflect the ideas dominated in Armenia regarding territorial integrity of the neighboring Turkey and Turkey-Armenia relations. This position is contrary to Armenia's commitments to the international organizations, including the UN and OSCE. Everyone should know very well that no one has the right to demand land from Turkey."

On July 5, addressing the second conference of lawyers  entitled "Ahead of the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide" in Yerevan, Prosecutor General Hovsepyan said that the Republic of Armenia should get back its lost territories, and the successors of the victims of the Armenian Genocide should receive material compensation, churches and church lands should be returned to the Armenian Church, the Republic of Armenia should receive back the territories it lost. 

The topic of Armenia's possible signing the EU Association Agreement is rather exaggerated in Armenia, Andrey Areshev, research fellow at the Institute for Political and Social Studies of Black Sea-Caspian Region, told ArmInfo.     

He thinks that the documents may be initialed in Vilnius in November 2013. He said that the real importance of the Association Agreement for Armenia's economy and Armenian public is absolutely incommensurable with the promises given to Yerevan. "At least, it seems so to Moscow", he stressed.
     
Areshev believes that Armenia's economy faces very serious tasks, in particular, improvement of the economic situation, strengthening of the industrial potential, but these tasks rather weakly comply with the documents to be signed within the frames of the Association Agreement, because the European Union pursues its own goals - it seeks to penetrate the South Caucasus markets. Areshev thinks that Armenia's signing of the EU Association Agreement will lead to Armenian market expansion by the European companies. 

In the meantime, when speaking of Armenia's possible accession to the Customs Union initiated by Russia, Areshev pointed out the need to move step by step and consider signing agreements that could harmonize Armenia's relations with the countries that used to be in a single economic complex. This will bring more benefit and transparency to the economic relations between Armenia and the Customs Union members. "I think integration into the Customs Union has more perspectives than the Association membership, but here one should not hope for fast breakthroughs either and should move by easy stages", he said. 

When commenting on the opinion that the sale of Russian offensive arms to Azerbaijan and the growth in the Russian gas prices are Moscow's penitentiary measures against Armenia for possible signing the EU Association Agreement and aim to integrate Armenia into the Customs Union, the expert stressed: "These are separate tracks and it would not be reasonable to lump everything together. Russia's arms deal with Azerbaijan had first of all a commercial component". He added that Russia simultaneously follows the observance of the military balance between the parties to the Karabakh conflict. 

Secretary of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktutyun (ARFD) Party Faction Aghvan Vardanyan told media Friday that staff reshuffles in the top echelons of the ARFD Bureau are possible (it is widely rumored that there are discrepancies within ARFD over the candidature of the Bureau representative Hrant Margaryan - ed.) 

He said that ARFD is an active structure where debates are held regularly to settle internal problems. It does not mean, however, he said, that there is split within the party. "Irrespective of whether the last elections were fake or not, ARFD failed them. Consequently, it must seriously think of its future," he said.  Commenting on the statement by Hrant Margaryan, ARFD Burau representative, that Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan declared war against ARFD, Aghvan Vardanyan said that ARFD has no problems with anyone. 

"ARFD is an independent force and makes independent decisions. In this light, we had no problems," he said. Nevertheless, he said, Prime Minister Sargsyan did not refute Margaryan's statement.

Earlier, Hrant Margaryan, ARFD Bureau representative, in an interview with RFE/RL Armenia service, said that Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan has openly declared war against ARF Dashnaktsutyun Party. He said that the ordered Mass Media articles slamming ARFD should be considered in the context of the prime minister's 'war'.  He is sure that those items are financed by the prime minister.  Markaryan means a series of mass media reports on alleged split within the ARFD that pursues a goal to depose Hrant Margaryan. 

Commenting on Margaryan's interview, Prime Minister's Spokesperson Haroutyun Berberyan expressed surprise at the 'war' announced against ARFD.  "The prime minister has always respected the traditional Armenian parties and considered them a national value. As regards the internal problems of ARFD, it is their internal affairs. Tigran Sargsyan, as Deputy Head of the Republican Party does not interfere with the internal affairs of other political forces," Berberyan said. 

 Sons of the Teghout Village Community Head Anushavan Tamrazyan skirmished in Dilijan on July 7, but the incident is not publicized, a Yerevan-based newspaper Hraparak reports. 

The paper writes that Arto and Argo Tamrazyans fired from hunter's guns at the gas-filling station belonging of the retired general of the Emergency Situations Ministry Ashot Gharibyan. The reason of the incident was an old quarrel between the families of Tamrazyans and Gharibyans over business interests, the paper writes.  "Tamryazans family also owns a gas-filling station on the road to Haghartsin," Hraparak writes.

Immediately after the incident, the law-enforcement began confiscating weapons from the village. A criminal case has been initiated on Article 185 (intentional damage to property). 

The 75th Anniversary of famous film director Artavazd Peleshian was celebrated on July 11 on sidelines of the Golden Apricot 10th International Film Festival in Yerevan. A retrospective show of Artavazd Peleshian's most popular films, including The Inhabitants and The Seasons of The Year, in Yerevan became an anniversary gift.   

"Art is the way to liberate yourself from your self. Art is a vague reality that is as impressive as the reality," Peleshian told media.
 
Peleshian is the author of the so-called distance montage that creates a magnetic field around the film.  Peleshian arranges individual shots and sound bites so that while no narrative or polemical continuity is immediately apparent, an overall vision gradually evolves.

On occasion of his 75th Anniversary Artavazd Peleshian was awarded with the Golden Knights Cross, the highest award of the Union of Cinematographers of Armenia, as well as with the honorable prize of the Armenian Cinema Academy - "Anahit." On July 12 at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Catholicos of All Armenians His Holiness Karekin II will award Artavazd Peleshian with the "Let There Be Light" Award" for propaganda for religious values and contribution to the world cinematography. In 2012 the given award was granted to film director Aleksander Sokurov. 

Today, the maximum buying rates at commercial banks of Yerevan were 409 drams for 1 dollar, 533drams for 1 EUR and 12,5 drams for 1 Russian ruble. The minimum selling rates stood at 410,5 drams for 1 dollar, 537,5 drams for 1 EUR and 12,6 drams for 1 Russian ruble .