Azerbaijan's Embassy in Spain has submitted a note of protest to Spain's Foreign Ministry over the visit of opera singer Montserrat Caballe to the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic, Azerbbaijani media report.

Montserrat Caballe visited Nagorno Karabakh on June 5 and met with President Bako Sahakyan. The world famous singer will perform at the National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet in Yerevan on June 9.

Defense Ministry of Armenia announces enlistment of females to the military- educational establishments for the educational year 2013-2014, the Defense Ministry reported.

Female citizens of Armenia at the age of 18 and above who have good physical ability and have passed the unified exams on math and physics can apply for admission to the Military Institute after V. Sargsyan or Military Aviation Institute after A. Khanperyants.

VTB Bank (Armenia) continues expanding its products and makes a unique offer "Car loans on mortgage," the bank's press-service told ArmInfo.  The loans are provided without preliminary customer solvency analysis. No prepayment is required for loans in the amount of up to 5.5 million drams, while the prepayment for the loans above 5.5 mln drams is 10%.

The loans are provided in terms of the national dram at the annual interest of 17% and with a maturity of 5- 7 years depending on the market a car is bought from (primary or secondary) and on the manufacturer country.  The maximum amount of the loan is 10 million drams.

"VTB Bank (Armenia) continues improving the terms of car loans by facilitating the terms and requirements to borrowers, first of all. The bank offers its customers a good opportunity to take a loan subject to certificate of employment, without analysis of his solvency. Car loans on mortgage are in demand in the retail market of Armenia. Requiring no prepayment we show our customer friendly activity.  The bank is currently cooperating with all the car salons in the country to offer its customers a big choice of cars," says Yuri Gusev, Director General- Chairman of Directorate of VTB Bank (Armenia). 

According to the Financial Rating of Banks prepared by ArmInfo Agency, VTB Bank (Armenia) was on the 3rd position in terms of the portfolio of car loans. The bank increased the portfolio 94% in 2012 and 5% in Q1 2013. The share of the bank in total portfolio of car loans in the banking system of Armenia is over 13%. The share of car loans in total portfolio of consumer loans of the bank is some 4%.

VTB Bank (Armenia) joined VTB Group in April 2004. Russian VTB Bank OJSC holds 100% stake in VTB Bank (Armenia). The bank has been among leaders in the banking system of Armenia in terms of a range of key figures. It serves 67 branches throughout the country (the biggest branch network in the country).

At least three national air carriers will operate in Armenia to stiffen competition in the field of air transportation, Artyom Movsisyan, Head of the Chief Aviation
Department of Armenia told media, Thursday.

The Government adopted a conception to liberalize the air transportation field, Thursday, he said.  Movsisyan said that the Department will announce tenders for flights for Armenian air carries within the coming months. In line with the adopted conception, the national air carriers will enjoy no privileges or exclusive rights unlike Armavia. (Armavia grounded flights on April 1 2013 and launched bankruptcy procedure).  He said that there are nearly 10-12 air companies in the country, but only half of them are licensed to
organize passenger transportation. The terms of the tenders are technical state of aircrafts, ticket sale systems, flight security and financial stability of companies. The tenders will be for the flights to the main destinations, including Moscow, Movsisyan said. In addition, he said, the Department studies tenders also for the flights to Europe, CIS, Russia and Middle East. He said joint ventures of local and nonresident companies are also possible, but the Armenian companies must hold 51% of shares.

Movsisyan hopes that liberalization of air traffic in Armenia will stiffen competition and reduce ticket prices. During discussions quite contradictory views were voiced starting from 100% government share in the capital of national air carrier up to the open sky principle. The latter is inadmissible at the given stage as Armenia still lacks national air companies, he said.  Therefore, the air traffic market will be liberalized gradually. The first stage will take 5 years, which is enough for return of investments, Movsisyan
said. The conception implies an agreement with the EU for joining the European Common Aviation Area (ECAA), he said.

The demonstrators now freely occupying Istanbul's Gezi Park for the last few days opened a symbolic street dedicated to the murdered Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink on June 5, Hurriyet reports.

Hundreds of activists had also opened "the peace square" a day earlier by singing songs and chanting in Turkish and Kurdish. The Hrant Dink Street connects the Peace Square with the children's playground.

Activists have brandished banners reading "Buraday?z Ahparig!" (We are here, brother), the slogan chosen for the commemoration of the 6th anniversary of Dink's murder earlier this year.

Dink was murdered on Jan. 19, 2007, in broad daylight in front of the Agos building by Ogun Samast, a 17-year-old Turkish nationalist. His death has lead to a long period of mass protests, during which demonstrators famously chanted, "We are all Armenians."

 Participants in the Karabakh War who had been rallying in the Liberty Square in Yerevan for several days have now moved to the president's residence. They demand better social
conditions, specifically, doubling of pensions, halving of communal payments, free treatment and education for their families.

Ameriabank has organized a seminal entitled "trade Finance Tools and International Factoring" for local businessmen, the bank's pres-service told ArmInfo.  In the course of
the seminar, experienced advisor for international trade finance Igor Rusin, who was invited from the EBRD, familiarized the participants in the seminar, including Ameriabank trade finance specialists, with the topic of the seminar. Earlier, Rusin was in 9 countries with the same mission, particularly, at 42 banks involved in the EBRD trade finance project.

"I have been cooperating with Ameriabank as part of the EBRD trade finance project as an advisor for a year. I think that the bank's prior task is to explain customers the advantages of the trade finance tools to help them use these tools in practice. I think that we managed to fulfill this big and very important task at the seminar," I. Rusin  says.

At the seminar, representatives of Ameriabank Trade Finance Department and I. Rusin introduced the advantages and possibilities of letters of credit, guarantees, reserve letters of credit used in the international trade. In addition, employees of Ameriabank, which is a member of FCI,  informed the import- and export-oriented enterprises specializing in the international trade with possibilities of factoring, risk insurance and management of receivables. They highlighted that as the first Armenian bank to receive a confirming status from EBRD Ameriabank can contribute to exporters as part of the trade finance project.  This cooperation with other EBRD member-banks will be mutually advantageous.

The source reports that the seminar aimed to inform the business society of the opportunities of international factoring and offer mutually advantageous cooperation with Ameriabank, a member of FCI. 

Ameriabank is a large and dynamically developing bank that offers a wide range of investments, corporate and retail services and a full package of bank solutions. The bank has introduced innovations based on the leading experience in financial and consulting services, business processes and technologies. America Group CY Ltd holds 99.99% of shares in the bank.

Today, the maximum buying rates at commercial banks of Yerevan were 414,5 drams for 1 dollar, 542drams for 1 EUR and 12,8 drams for 1 Russian ruble. The minimum
selling rates stood at 415,5 drams for 1 dollar, 543 drams for 1 EUR and 13 drams for 1 Russian ruble .

A remote access point (RAP) will open at the State Engineering University of Armenia on June 7 to provide access to Educational Resources for Engineers of the Commonwealth, specifically to 56 educational programs for qualification upgrade in the new areas of technical and technological development. The project was implemented with the support of the Rossotrudnichestvo Office in Armenia. The event will be attended by representatives of the Armenian Education Ministry, the N.E. Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Rossotrudnichestvo Office in Armenia, local higher educational establishments, companies, and organizations.

A network of RAPs is a joint project of the Bauman MSTU (Moscow State Technical University), CIS International Fund of Humanitarian Cooperation and CIS Universities (involved in the project).  Similar RAPs successfully operate at the Yerevan State University of Armenia, in Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyghyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine.

The remote access to educational resources in Armenia will be provided on the basis of the Center of Extended Education at the Engineering University.

 Government of Armenia has accepted Syunik Governor Surik Khachatryan's resignation, Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration Vache Terteryan said in the government,
Thursday.

Khachatryan sent in his resignation following a bloody shootout in front of his house. Former candidate for Goris mayor Avo Budaghyan was killed and his brother Artak Budaghyan (who is in a grave situation currently), a commander at a military unit in NKR and Nikolay Abrahamyan, a relative and bodyguard of Governor S.  Khachartyan, were wounded. The ex-governor's son Tigran Khachatryan and bodyguard Zarzand Nikoghosyan have been arrested over the incident.  Surik Khahcatryan says the incident was a result of an armed attack on his house.

Reportedly, there are several candidates for the post of the Syunik governor: Vahe Hakobyan, the son of Maxim Hakobyan, the owner of the Zangezour copper and molybdenum combine (who is supported by the RPA youth wing headed by Vice Speaker E. Sharmazanov), and Khachik Asryan, Deputy Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs.

 So far there is no tangible difference between protection of the rights minorities in Georgia, including the rights of the national minorities and the Georgians, Lia
Mukhashavria, lawyer, Head of the Human Rights Priority NGO, said in an online interview with ArmInfo.  

Commenting on the latest statement by Bidzina Ivanishvili saying that one of the prior tasks of his government is to develop democratic values and protect human rights in Georgia, the human rights defender said that the situation has changed to better.

"There are no longer any tortures at jails, the number of prisoners fell by 60% and the problems with overfilled penitentiaries remained in the past. Procedural agreements are no longer practiced. So people cannot buy their freedom via a procedural contract with a prosecutor. Mass arrests to fulfill the budgets through procedural contracts have been stopped as well," Mukhashavria said.

She thinks that the legislative and the executive branches work hard to improve the situation with human rights in the country. The human rights defender outlined the judicial reform. She hopes the reform will be a success without any serious loses and shocks. "We live in a democratic state already today," she said.

The human rights defender does not share the views of some NGOs in Georgia saying that the campaign organized by the Identity NGO in Tbilisi on May 17 was provocative. She thinks that minorities gathered then just to celebrate the International Anti-Homophobia Day. The situation got out of control of the religious leadership, which did not expect such big number of anti- demonstrators and aggression.

"Such provocations are in favor of the former political force, National Movement, which calls itself opposition now," Mukhashavria said.

Joint online press conference of experts from various countries for Armenian, Azerbaijani and Georgian mass media on the relevant problems are organized within the project "Expansion of knowledge of Armenians and Azerbaijanis about each other and confidence building through first-hand information". The project of the "Region" Research Center (Armenia) and Peace and Democracy Institute (Azerbaijan) is supported by the British Embassies in Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Tbilisi. I am looking forward to a future in which Georgia is in the Alliance - NATO Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, stated at the NATO-Georgia Commission session, in Brussels, on Wednesday, June 5.

Tbilisi. Development of commercial ties between Russia and Georgia, as well as visa facilitation for Georgian citizens, will be discussed at the meeting between the Russian State Secretary, First Deputy Foreign Minister, Grigory Karasin and Georgian Premier's Special Representative for Relations with Russia, Zurab Abashidze, in Prague (Czech Republic), on Wednesday, June 5.

Tbilisi. A group of seven European Parliament members visited Georgia on June 3-4 to, as they put it, see the situation in the country more than seven months after peaceful transfer of power and ahead of the October, 2013 presidential elections - Civil Georgia electronic media outlet reported late on June 4.

 Despite serious difficulties, the Armenian economy is gradually overcoming the crisis aftermaths, with the 7,2% economic growth in 2012 being the best evidence of that. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan made such statement at the meeting of the National Security Council of Armenia, Wednesday, the president's press-service told ArmInfo.

The president is convinced that economic growth is ensured amid not-high and manageable inflation.

"Economic growth rates in Armenia in 2012 outstripped the indicators of the neighbor countries. Economic transformation and diversification bring tangible fruits. As a result, Armenia rose to the 23rd place in the world in terms of the economic growth rates," the president said.

The president said that it is necessary to change the form and the content of economy. "We are building a new economy. Instead of fighting hail, we must start installing anti-hail nets when necessary. Instead of subsidizing irrigation, we must introduce system of droplet irrigation. It is necessary to start implementing projects to develop entire sectors," the president said.

 The situation in the region will change in 3-4 years. Experts anticipate Azerbaijan's fiasco by that time, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan said at the meeting of the
National Security Council of Armenia, Wednesday, the president's press-service told ArmInfo.

In his speech, President Sargsyan particularly said that guided with the rules of the classical dictatorship, the Azerbaijani authorities do their best to show Armenia and the Armenian people as an enemy of Azerbaijan.

"In the meanwhile, public, political and economic outbreaks have matured in Azerbaijan. Despite the falling oil recovery in the world, the authorities in the neighbor country keep wasting the accumulated funds so quickly that even their rivals did not expect them do to," the president said.

In addition, the consequences of the dictatorship regime in Azerbaijan are already felt. Arrests of opponents, suppressions of the public rights and freedoms, restriction of mass media, extreme scales of corruption: all these factors will be scored up against the Azerbaijani authorities as the oil reserves fall.

The president said that Armenia, in turn, must keep diversifying and modernizing its economy to achieve more favorable conditions with the changing situation in the region.

Yerevan Brandy Company, part of Pernod Ricard Group, held the Third Annual Campaign "Responsib'All Day" on June 5, the YBC press-service told ArmInfo. 

The company traditionally holds a special event mobilizing all its employees. During the event, Pernord Ricard and YBC presented their initiatives and implemented programs aimed at responsible use of alcohol.  In particular, in 2012 YBC implemented a range of programs to raise public awareness of negative consequences of alcohol abuse.

Pernod Ricard's 18,800 employees simultaneously held similar events at the company's offices throughout the world.

In the course of the event, Pernod Ricard leadership introduced 5 commitments it announced earlier at the session of the International Center for Alcohol Policies, ICAP. Major efforts will be made to restrict use of alcohol by minors, to promote and expand the professional codes of conduct in the field of marketing, to provide the necessary information to consumers, to fight drunk driving, to involve retail trade enterprises in the fight against alcohol abuse.

Privatized by Pernod Ricard Group, France, in May 1998, Yerevan Brandy Company is the biggest producer and exporter of the Armenian brandy and the biggest grapes procurer company.

One more shootout with participation of minions of already former governor of Syunik Suren Khachatryan (nickname Litska) once again whipped-up the problems accumulated in the Armenian public over the years of the country’s independence. This time, ex-candidate for Goris Mayor Avo Budaghyan was killed and an army commander of NKR Artak Budaghyan was wounded.

We all really want to try to see resolved one day the frozen conflict of Nagorno-Karabakh. It is critical that all the parties - when I say all the parties, I mean, obviously, the Azerbaijanis, but also Turkey, Russia, Iran, others - try to find a way to help break the impasse that has kept this struggle alive and always potentially dangerous, US Secretary of State John Kerry said during his Tuesday meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

Referring to state.gov, commonspace.eu reports that on his part Nalbandian said: "It is important to continue efforts to find exclusively peaceful solution to the Nagorno-
Karabakh conflict based on the principles and norms of international law, particularly non-use of force, excessive force, self-determination, territorial integrity who are sharing the vision that the relations between Armenia and Turkey should be normalized without preconditions, who are sharing the same values of democracy, fundamental freedoms, liberty, human rights, market economy, who are very thankful that during the last two decades since our independence, United States extended very important support for Armenia, and we are thankful for that."

 The commander of one of the military units of the NKR, Colonel Artak Budagyan, wounded during the bloody conflict in Goris, awoke.  As one of his relatives said, they are going to hold a protest action near the Armenian president's residence.

According to physicians, at present Budagyan is in a stably grave state, but positive dynamics was noticed. Yesterday, Artak Budagyan's 69 year old father, Emil Budagyan, had a blood stroke but refused hospitalization and is treated at home.

Meanwhile, several mass media reported, that Goris and Nagornyy Karabakh residents are going to hold a protest action near the Armenian president's residence and demand fair investigation of the case from the top leadership of the country.

To recall, shootouts in front of Syunik Governor's house at 00:10am on June 2 killed former candidate for Goris mayor Avo Budaghyan and wounded his brother Artak Budaghyan (who is in a grave situation currently), a commander at a military unit in NKR.  There was another wounded, Nikolay Abrahamyan, a relative and bodyguard of Governor S.  Khachartyan. A criminal case has been initiated on the basis of Article 103.1 (murder) and Article 235 (illegal use, storage and bearing weapons) of the Criminal Code of Armenia. Syunik Governor Suren Khachatryan's son, Tigran Khachatryan, has been arrested over latest shootouts in Syunik. Earlier, the governor's bodyguard Zarzand Nikoghosyan was arrested over the case.  Suren Khachatryan sent in his resignation overnight declaring that everyone must answer for his mistakes. He regretted for failing to prevent the tragic incident near his house.