Professor of Foreign Affairs at Istanbul’s Bogazici University Behlul Ozkan excludes the prospect of resuming Armenian-Azeri war, since Azerbaijan would not want to endanger its economic ties with the world.

“It’s not in Turkey’s best interests either, since the two countries are interconnected through oil and gas industry, trade, and cooperation between chemical companies,” says Ozkan, who is currently in Armenia to lead workshops on “The shift in Turkey’s Foreign Policy in Armenia and its impact on the South Caucasus”. Reflecting on the Armenian-Turkish protocols, the native-Turkish professor said:

The National Statistical Service of Armenia reports that consumer prices rose by up to two percent during August, reflecting a steady rise that has been influenced by inflation and by weather-related impact on produce and fruit.

It has been a particularly sour summer for fruit prices as this August saw melons, peaches, etc. cost and average of 35.6 percent more than the same month last year. For example, apricots that last year cost as little as 100 drams (27 cents), this year cost 1,000 ($2.70) – the hardest of crops suffering a late spring frost.

Persons who import cars for personal use from other countries, (mostly from Georgia) to Armenia are discontent with the new government-supported legislative initiative according to which individuals would not be allowed to register their vehicles as a temporary import.

During the recent working visit to Nagorno Karabakh on August 29, the president of Armenia once again stated that Armenia’s efforts must constantly be directed at making not only Azerbaijan but all other countries too, understand that Karabakh’s return to Azerbaijan is out of question, and that Artsakh (NKR) is a viable state as it is.

The Nagorno Karabakh issue seemed to be put to rest after the sixth meeting of the presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia on June 17 and the major ceasefire violation by the Azeri immediately following the meeting, when four Armenian soldiers died as a result of the attack in Martakert region of Nagorno Karabakh.

An Armenian conscript on duty in Martuni, Karabakh has killed himself and five other servicemen according to information widely spread, but not yet confirmed by the Ministry of Defense.

According to unofficial information, conscript Karo Ayvazyan shot four officers, a fellow-conscript and then himself in an apparent attempt to defend his comrade from the officers’ punishment.

Mainline water supply repairs currently underway have some Yerevan center residents recalling the early 1990s, as once again residents are seen carrying buckets of water from drinking fountains for home use.

Water supply is regularly cut in the center community at Parpetsi, Pushkin and adjacent streets, while valves are being installed in the area to regulate flow and reduce waste, according to Yerevan Water Company secretary general Mane Mamyan.

The Armenian Ministry of Education and Science together with a few Armenian ethnographers plan to initiate a new national program from September in secondary schools, teaching courses in Armenian traditional dances.

“It was planned to have dance courses even a year ago, but a flu was spread at schools, and there were some other obstacles, too,” says Gagik Ginosyan, specialist in traditional dances, art director of ‘Karin’ traditional song-dance troupe.

A week after a well-reported split from his party, noted oppositionist Karapet Rubinyan has come out with an apology, taking back accusations he made that the party of first President of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan had rigged elections in its recent congress.

Rubinyan (who is co-founder of the Committee for the Protection of Political Prisoners and Persecuted in Armenia) posted a retraction on Facebook social network, saying he has later learned that misgivings about the election were due to organizational shortcomings.

When an artist stops taking risks, he stops being an artist; and art stops being art, when it is mixed with politics.

So were the viewpoints expressed by Canadian-Armenian film Director Atom Egoyan and his actress/wife Arsinee Khanjian at “Politics of Culture”, a dialogue presented in Yerevan by the Civilitas Foundation and Counterpart International.

The administration of the State Philharmonic Orchestra of Armenia, after a long struggle, will finally be provided with a new Germany-produced Steinway grand piano, which would give world-famous grand piano players an opportunity to have concerts in Armenia from September 19.

The grand piano costs 62 million drams ($170,000); the Ministry of Culture of Armenia has allotted the money.