Leader of Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) Gagik Tsarukyan has recently met with Acting Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan. They discussed the issue of government formation, a local Haykakan Zhamanak Daily writes referring to its source in the pro-government circles.

Asked to either confirm or refute the given rumors, Press Secretary of the Prime Minister Haroutyun Berberyan said that the prime minister regularly meets with the leaders of political forces. PAP Spokesperson Tigran Urikhanyan, in turn, told Haykakan Zhamanak Daily that he has no relevant information. Representatives of the party also avoided making any official statements on the issue.  However, one of them said in a private talk that he had also heard of the meeting and was trying to find out some details. The paper writes that Tsarukyan invited the party's key personnel to a discussion
overnight, but no details of the meeting are reported.   "There are rumors in the pro-government circles that the Republican Party of Armenia and Prosperous Armenia Party are negotiating to form a coalition. According to the same sources, Tsarukyan is ready to join the coalition if PAP gets 5 portfolios in the new government. RPA, in turn, is ready to cede only three or four portfolios," the paper writes.

At the same time, a local Hraparak Daily writes that RPA and PAP are studying the latter's joining the coalition. The paper writes that announcement of the final staff of the government has been postponed till May 9 for that very reason. "The persons negotiating behind the scenes have agreed that some portfolios, including in the humanitarian sphere and maybe in the diplomatic 'corps' will be provided to PAP if it receives the second place at the upcoming elections to the Elders' Council," the paper writes.

At the Thursday session, the RPA Board and the Executive Body supported Acting Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan's candidature for the given post. Acting Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan and Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian will also retain their positions.

 In January-March 2013 South Caucasus Railway significantly raised the level of efficiency of freight wagons and locomotive fleet, SCR press-service told ArmInfo.

According to SCR latest statistics, the turnover of the freight car increased by 35.7%, compared with the level in 2012. On average, a car was in circulation during 2.8 days.

The average performance of one car reached the 5356 net ton-km / wagon, up 34.5% the first quarter of 2012.

The performance of the locomotive fleet also improved. In particular, the average mileage of one locomotive reached 370.6 loc-km, which is more than in January-March of last year by 7.8%.

The Company achieved such results due to its policy of railway infrastructure and traction-rolling stock improvement on the basis of comprehensive measures to ensure traffic safety.

CJSC "South Caucasian Railway" is a 100% subsidiary of JSC "Russian
Railways" and provides concession management of Armenian railroads. 
CJSC "Armenian Railways" was referred to the concession management to
the company "SCR" according to the Concession Agreement signed on
February 13, 2008. The term of the concession management is 30 years
with possible extension for another 10 years.

 U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's statement on Turkey's role in the Karabakh conflict has provoked indication of the Armenian community, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) reported.

"This is like pouring fuel on the fire," said Armenian National Committee of America Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "Despite Turkey's growing anti-Armenian bias Secretary Kerry said at his testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee that Ankara could play a 'constructive role' in resolving that 'frozen conflict.'"

While discussing the 2014 Foreign Affairs budget at the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Kerry called Turkey a constructive regional player in the Mideast peace process, the ongoing Syrian crisis, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the Cyprus issue.

"Through regular talks held with Washington, Ankara is assisting us on the settlement of the two frozen conflicts - the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict [between Armenia and Azerbaijan] and the Cyprus issue. I think Turkey will be a constructive player on these issues and we are looking forward to maintaining constructive ties with Ankara," Kerry said in response to question by members of Congress.

Byurakan village residents are against construction of a hydro power plant at Amberd river in the Orgov gorge of Aragatsotn region of Armenia. About 150 residents of the village came to the construction site today to express their protest.

Until local referendum institute is not directly used in Armenia, local government will not be fully fulfilled, a member of the parliament from ARFD, Artsvik Minasyan, said during today's discussion of the problems of the Yerevan budget management. Representatives of the parties which will run for the Yerevan Council of Elders election took part in the event.

The earthquake in Armenia was felt in the territory of Armenia as well. 

The Public Chamber of Russia is going to amend the bill on penalization of the Holocaust denial and introduce a provision on the Armenian Genocide, Denis Dvornikov, member of the Public Chamber of Russia, said at today's Yerevan-Moscow TV bridge.  

Within the frames of the Francophonie Month, authors and performers of Francophone songs will give a concert in Yerevan on April 19.

French actor Richard Berry, who starred in Henri Verneuil's Mayrig, Italian tenor Alessandro Safina and Canadian soprano Giorgia Fumanti will be among the guests at the Armenia Music Awards 2013, to take place the Kremlin Palace, Moscow, on Apr 20.

The Armenian National Congress (ANC) is actively negotiating with Prosperous Armenia Party the possibility of cooperation during the May 5 elections into Yerevan's Elders Council, Deputy Chairman of the ANC Levon Zurabyan told journalists on Thursday.

The Government of Armenia approved on Thursday a list of measures to stimulate information technologies in 2013.

The Government of Armenia considered on Thursday a draft agreement with Bahrain for mutual protection and promotion of investments.

Dry fruit producers in Armenia will be able to borrow up to 5mln AMD ($12,000) at 10%.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has dismissed Armen Arzumanyan from the post of the Spokesperson, the presidential press-service reported. By another decree, the president appointed Arman Saghatelyan on the given position. Saghatelyan was previously occupying the post of the director of the ArmRadio FM 107.

U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Heffern hopes that the ruling party in Armenia and the other political forces will avoid voter bribery and use of the administrative resource at the upcoming elections to the Elders' Council of Yerevan. The ambassador made such statement in an interview with a local newspaper "168 Zham."

The U.S. diplomat thinks that true competition implying consistent opposition and the authorities avoiding use of the administrative resource is an important component of elections in any democratic state.

Ambassador Heffern said that at the past presidential election the opposition leader Raffi Hovannisian made a good showing. The diplomat hopes for a peaceful political struggle also at the upcoming municipal elections.

To recall, March 21 was deadline for registration of political forces and their candidates for the May 5 elections to the Elders' Council of Yerevan. Six parties and a union have submitted their party lists to run to the Elders' Council of Yerevan: Republican Party of Armenia, Prosperous Party of Armenia, Orinats Yerkir, Armenian National Congress, Mission, ARF Dashnaktsutyun, and "Barev Yerevan" Union. Political parties will fight for 65 seats at the Elders' Council.  The election campaign started on April 7. The elections will be held on May 5. May 4 is a say of "silence" when campaign is prohibited. By preliminary data, 261 observers will be following the elections.

A joint performance by the artists of the National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet and Bad Boys of Dance company will take place in Yerevan on April 18. The program of performances includes a ballet La Revancha del tango, and classical ballet and modern dance mixes.

Founded in 2007 by dance superstar Rasta Thomas, BAD BOYS of DANCE debuted at the 75th anniversary season of the world renowned Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival. It is noteworthy that Rasta Thomas is the student of Rudolf Kharatyan, the creative director of the National Academic Theater ballet company. Today, Bad Boys of Dance company brings their magic to the masses, giving over 150 shows a year. The company will perform in Yerevan one of its best works Rock the Ballet.

U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Heffern told media on April 18 that the joint project is the best evidence of close Armenian-American cultural ties. The ambassador said that Bad Boys of Dance and the Armenian dancers will perform also in the towns of Vanadzor andGyumri.

 "Barev, Yerevan" ("Hello, Yerevan") bloc has no intention to bribe voters and falsify the upcoming elections to the Elders' Council of Yerevan, parliamentarian from Heritage opposition party Zaruhi Postanjyan told media, Wednesday.

She said that the parties bribing voters are unable to do anything else. "This time they will not manage to buy votes, because the citizens have become more conscientious and bribes insult them," she said.  Postanjyan said that it is immoral taking advantage of the heavy social economic situation in the country and using the votes of citizens under pretence of charity.

Earlier, Mass Media reported that under pretence of charity Orinats Yerkir Party distributes condensed milk and honey to bribe voters. Reportedly, Prosperous Armenia has provided free of charge buses for Avan- Ararat Cinema route. Secretary of the party Tigran Urikhanyan did not refute the reports and said kidding that Gagik Tsarukyan Fund has been engaged in charity for already 250 years.

Zaruhi Postanyan highly appreciated the chances of the bloc for victory in the upcoming elections and said that the bloc will get majority of seats in the Elders' Council.  She said that the incidents of April 9 and the high rating of Raffi Hovannisian cannot  affect the results of the elections, because this will be the choice of the Yerevan citizens.  "We will bring Yerevan back to the citizens. And the conscientious citizens will give their votes to us," she said.

Prosperous Armenia, Orinats Yerkir, the Republican Party of Armenia, the Armenian National Congress, ARFD, Mission and Barev Yerevan will run for 65 seats in Yerevan's Elders Council on May 5. The election campaign kicked off on Apr 7.

 Return of Georgian wines to the Russian market following embargo suspension may cut growth of export of Armenian wines to Russia, Avag Haroutiunyan, Head of the Union of Armenian Winemakers, told ArmInfo.

A threefold growth of export of Armenian wines to Russia was planned for the coming five years.  Wine export from Armenia grew 60% in 2012 to 1.185 million liters versus 744,000 liters in 2011, with nearly 75% of sales being in Russia. A few years ago, export totaled 500,000 liters, Haroutiunyan said. Before the embargo on Georgian wines in Russia, 50-55 million bottles of Georgian wine were sold in that country annually, despite the fact that the production capacity of Georgian wineries is some 15-20 million bottles. This shows that counterfeit production was manufactured either in Georgia or in
Russia. Georgian wineries have raised significant investments in modernization over the last years and have greatly improved the quality of wines.

"Now, they will offer the best products in the Russia market. Georgian wines are now of higher quality than the Armenian ones, but the prices will be similar. Armenia will have to raise additional investments in modernization of wineries to sustain competition," Haroutiunyan said. 

He added that it will take a couple of years until Georgian wines will again become popular in Russia and take their niche in the market. The embargo on the Georgian wine may be suspended in May or June 2013. Haroutiunyan said that the Russian market capacity is some 1.2 billion bottles a year.

Earlier, Executive Director of the Yerevan Brandy Company, Head of the Association of Armenian Brandy Producers Ara Grigoryan told media that return of the Georgian alcohol drinks to the Russian market may create problems for the Armenian wines but never for the Armenian brandy, which is more popular in Russia and Armenian brandy sales are incomparable with the Georgian ones.

 The Stepanakert airport will operate  any way, Foreign Minister of Nagornyy Karabakh Republic, Karen Mirzoyan, said in an interview with Radio Liberty. "This is a sovereign decision of the Karabakh authorities and despite all the threats and other steps by the authorities of Azerbaijan, it will be brought to life sooner or later. It is already for more than 20 years that Azerbaijan's laws are invalid at the territory of the NKR", - the minister said and added the OSCE MG co-chairmen as well as all the political forces more or less aware about the matter fully share such an approach of the Karabakh authorities.

"Everybody emphasize that any threat to shoot down a civilian aircraft or any similar step is absolutely inadmissible. We mentioned about that in a letter on behalf of the foreign minister to UN secretary general in autumn 2012. The letter says that the flights will be just of the humanitarian nature and have no other purposes. As for the political games and various threats as well as the disinformation started by Azerbaijan, they are just another attempt to distort the negotiating process  and deflect attention of the world community away from the illegal and disruptive steps taken by Azerbaijan", - the NKR foreign minister said.

The Stepanakert airport was built in 1974 and has not been functioning since 1992. The new terminal of the airport was built in 2008 and is going to implement flight on the route Stepanakert-Yerevan-Stepanakert.  However, the airport does not operate because of the threats of Azerbaijan to shoot down planes from Stepanakert.