The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe issued the following statement on February 2.

“The Armenian authorities need to implement the reforms recommended by the ad hoc Committee of the National Assembly of Armenia on the events of 1 and 2 March 2008, without further delay,” concluded the co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), John Prescott (United Kingdom, SOC) and Georges Colombier (France, EPP/CD), following an exchange of views in the PACE Monitoring Committee last week. »»»»»

Heritage Party MP Zaruhi Postanjyan said today that her presence at PACE wasn’t desirable by John Prescott and Georges Colombier, the PACE rapporteurs on Armenia.

She was referring to the absence of the two co-rapporteurs at the December 17 PACE session scheduled to review the report of the Armenian parliament’s temporary committee regarding the events of March 1, 2008. »»»»»

Starting on January 31, almost a thousand heirs of Armenian Genocide victims will receive their compensation payments from AXA the French insurance company AXA within two weeks. This, according to Armenian-American lawyer Vartkes Yeghiaian in a news item picked up by a number of Armenian mass media outlets citing “Days” monthly published in Prague. (The AXA website has posted no announcement on the matter). »»»»»

The Armenian Assembly of America is calling on President Obama to up U.S. assistance to Armenia to at least $70 million in FY 2011.

This is $30 million more than envisaged in the U.S. budget released a few days ago. »»»»»

Deno Gold Mining and “Khustup T.V.”, based in Kapan, have recently signed a memorandum of cooperation according to which the local broadcaster will be airing programs regarding the mining company’s projects in the town.

Sasoun Manoukyan, Managing Director of “Khustup TV” said that the broadcaster hadn’t charged Deno Gold for such publicity. Rather, he said that the agreement would set the record straight regarding the mining company’s environmental record. “Some NGO’s have claimed that the company is damaging the local environment and this isn’t true,” Mr. Manoukyan said. »»»»»

RoA Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan met today with Seid Ali Saghaian, Iran’s Ambassador to Armenia.

Ambassador Saghaian presented the Armenian defense minister with an official invitation from the Iranian Minister of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics Ahmad Vahidi to visit Tehran.

U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., (D-NJ), co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, released the following statement on Tuesday regarding economic and military assistance to Armenia in the fiscal year 2011 budget proposal.

“I am disappointed to see that International Military Education and Training funding proposed by President Obama broke with the long-held practice of parity in military financing between Armenia and Azerbaijan. At a time when Azerbaijan is making aggressive statements towards Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and threatening war, this administration must follow Congress’s lead and ensure military parity. »»»»»

Newly appointed Turkish Ambassador to the United States, Namik Tan, said that Turkey expects U.S. officials won’t bring up Armenian Genocide “allegations” this year.

In a speech delivered in Ankara on Tuesday, Ambassador Tan pointed to “comprehensive and fruitful cooperation” between Armenia and Turkey as a reason why the Genocide issue should not come before the U.S. Congress.

The following article, entitled “Rifts Emerging in Armenian Community, by Ruzan Hakobyan, a political scientist and freelance journalist based in Yerevan, appeared in the February 2, 2009, edition of Business Week.

A vast diaspora has long supported Armenia, but some locals fret that overseas brethren aren’t concerned enough about the country’s present-day problems. »»»»»

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg will travel to the Caucasus on February 4 and 5. He will meet in Yerevan, Armenia with President Serzh Sargsian and Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian to discuss bilateral and regional issues. He will proceed to Tbilisi, Georgia where he will meet with President Mikheil Saakashvili and representatives of Georgia’s opposition. »»»»»