Military coup is impossible in Turkey, Professor Ruben Safrastyan, Head of the Institute of Oriental Studies at the Armenian National Academy of Science, told media, Monday.

The expert said that Turkish army is indifferent to the clashes of the police and protesters against construction in Gezi Park. Prime Minister Erdogan managed to separate army from the politics. In addition, the mentality of Turkish officers has changed sharply. The graduated students of religious schools have been allowed to receive higher education and part of them became officers after graduation. Now, the army leadership is concerned that the officers will simply refuse to fulfill orders and will not interfere with the processes in the country, Safrastyan said.

The professor believes that the situation with Gezi Park is in favor of the incumbent president Abdullah Gul. In 2014 elections to the local self-government and presidential election will be held in Turkey. In addition, a new Constitution may be adopted ahead of elections to change the governance system.  "It is not a secret that Prime Minister Erdogan claims the presidential post and these changes will give him wider powers. However, the current processes in Turkey show that Erdogan cannot come out as a nation- wide leader who listens to the voice of the people," Safrastyan says.  "Erdogan's behavior is insulting first of all the Gezi Park activists, who are largely intellectuals. This will seriously damage Erdogan's image and Gul will appear as a winner," he said.

The protests against construction in the area of Gezi Park in Istanbul continue in Turkey. Reportedly, 536 people were wounded during the ongoing unrest in Turkey, with over 2,3 thousand people being arrested.  In Ankara, activists demand resignation of the government.  On June 8 Istanbul mayor declared that the local authorities adopted a decision to cancel construction in the park.

 A large Armenian producer of construction materials, Shen Holding, has organized a series of training courses for its service personnel.  Samvel Beglaryan, President of Shen Holding told ArmInfo that the Company conducts a consistent policy to train and retrain its personnel.

"We retrain our personnel each year. Industrial workers improve their skills abroad, particularly, in Germany, while other employees are trained inside the Company. Technologies progress continuously, and our task is to keep pace with them," Beglaryan said, adding that the better technologies a company has, the more competitive it is.

Nika Yepiskoposyan, the project manager of Maeutica, a branding agency that has organized the training courses, said that Shen Holding's personnel are retrained according to special high-quality standards.  "When developing the training program we kept in mind the peculiarity of the Holding's activities and its corporate values. 
Each employee we have trained is now not only "just a seller" but a specialist who is perfectly aware of the physical and even chemical properties and the competitive advantages of the products he or she sells, who knows how to serve customers in a superior way and how to earn potential customers' trust for the Company," Yepiskoposyan said.

"Our specialists are confident of their skills. Customers care not only for the quality of goods but also for the quality of services. In fact, we are the face of our Company, the carrier of its key values, so, earning our customers' trust we make them have a positive attitude towards the Company as well. Hovhannes Davtyan, Senior Sales Manager of Shen Holding told.

Shen Holding specializes in producing and selling construction materials, including paints, varnishes, concrete blocks, mixed concrete, paving slabs. Shen Holding Currently incorporates Shen Concern, Huntsman Building Products and Shen Group.  As part of its new identity program, since 2012 Shen Holding has begun to cooperate with Maeutica Branding Agency that is re-branding Shen Holding and developing the company's visual solutions, communication matrix and strategy. In the meantime, the Holding is adopting advanced corporate governance standards and is forming a national brand. The corporate governance project is being carried out by the International Finance Corporation jointly with the Corporate Governance Center.  Shen Holding is also active in Georgia. For the moment the Company is forming its own base of raw materials and has the biggest gypsum quarry in the region. The Holding currently employs around 500people.

 The Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia are to meet in late June to discuss preparations for the meeting of the presidents of the two countries, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov told reporters, as Azerbaijani mass media reported.

Mammadyarov said on his return from Washington that he held a meeting in London with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and discussed the date and agenda of the forthcoming meeting of heads of state.

"The purpose of the presidential meeting is the discussion of the serious issues of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. I look forward to meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian to comprehensively discuss the preparation for the presidents' meeting," the Minister added.

On 7 June Armenian Ambassador to Vatican Michael Minasyan delivered the copy of his credential to Pope Francisco I and handed an invitation of President Serzh Sargsyan to visit Armenia. Pope Francisco I promised to think about his possible visit to Armenia.

As press-service of Armenia's Foreign Ministry reported, Minasyan said that he will work on improving ties between Armenia and Vatican and preservation of Armenian cultural heritage.

Minasyan met Cardinal Bertone, State Secretary of Vatican.  The cardinal thanked Sargsyan for intensive cooperation and opening of an embassy.

The ambassador thanked Pope for voicing of his position regarding the Armenian genocide in Ottoman Turkey. To recall, Pope has recently said that the first genocide of the 20th century was committed in the Ottoman Turkey.

Today, the maximum buying rates at commercial banks of Yerevan were 412,5 drams for 1 dollar, 544drams for 1 EUR and 12,7 drams for 1 Russian ruble. The minimum
selling rates stood at 414 drams for 1 dollar, 547 drams for 1 EUR and 12,8 drams for 1 Russian ruble .

 "All go to Yerevan" event will launch in Armenia's capital Yerevan on June 12 and last till June 16. More than 40 events will be held in Yerevan and towns of Armenia.

About 600 people, among them cultural, public figures, journalists, from different countries will arrive in Armenia. The goal of the event is to present to them Armenia's culture and history.

Azerbaijan can carry out gas supply to Armenia, President of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Rovnag Abdullayev stated in an exclusive interview with ANS TV.  According to him, Azerbaijan is a humane country and aware of its role as a regional leader. If Armenia turn to us for help in the gas issue, of course, we will help Rovnag Abdullayev said.

After Russia raised gas export price for Armenia, PSRC adopted a decision to raise gas and electric power tariffs 18.2% and 26.7%, respectively, in Armenia starting July 7 2013. Thus, the gas price for the consumers using up to 10,000 cu m of gas monthly will total 156,000 drams per 1,000 cu m instead of the current 132,000.  For
those who consume over 10,000 cu m of gas monthly, gas tariff will rise to $276.98 instead of the current $243 per 1,000 cu m (up 14%).

 VTB Bank (Armenia) and Electric Networks of Armenia held today a benevolent festive event in Yerevan's Hovhannes Tumanyan Puppet Theatre for children from orphanages in Gavar, Vanadzor and Yerevan and children of the bank and the company's employees.

Orphans with physical disabilities attended this event as well.  The kids took part in contests and games. Foods and drinks were offered to them.  After that the children watched a play based on a tale written by a famous Armenian writer Hovhannes Tumanyan.

VTB Bank (Armenia) CEO Yuri Gusev and Electric Networks of Armenia CEO Yevgeny Bibin attended the event.

"VTB Bank (Armenia) is always pay attention to children who are in need of care, Gusev said. "We are pleased to see that kids liked our holiday. Charity is among our bank's traditions, and we are always ready to help impaired children to integrate in the society,"- he added.

For his part, Bibin emphasized that the Electric Networks of Armenia has been helping kids for more than one decade.  "This is the second time we conduct with VTB Bank a good and meaningful event related to the Children Protection Day," he said.

VTB Bank Armenia  joined VTB Group in April 2004. VTB, the second largest bank of Russia, holds 100% of shares of VTB Bank (Armenia). VTB Bank (Armenia) has 67 branches all over Armenia's territory - the largest branch network in the country. VTB Bank (Armenia) is traditionally reckoned among leaders for general indicators.

The Electric Networks of Armenia is a subsidiary of Russia's INTER RAO UES. The company supplies electric power to consumers in Armenia.

The credit actions  "0%, 0%, 0%+", within the frames of which Unibank jointly with big trade nets offers a consumer credit with three zeroes, is becoming more and more popular among the clients.

As press-service of Unibank reported, the demand for this credit product is conditioned by its exclusiveness at the market. The credit has the best conditions, in particular, prepayment - 0%, interest rate - 0%, commissioning  - 0%.  The action is valid till 20 April 2014. At present Unibank has been holding the given action with "Interservice Mek" net of stores, within the frames of which one can buy furniture and pay only for furniture, no other payment. The sum of the credit  is up to 1.5 mln drams, and credit payment period - 12 months. The main condition of the credit is a positive credit history. In that case, a client may have a credit up to 300 thsd drams submitting a minimal package of documents - a passport and a social card. But if the sum of the credit is more than 300 thsd drams, it is also necessary to submit a proof of employment and a size of salary.

 US ex-Ambassador Matthew Bryza said that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the Armenian-Turkish relations cannot be separated into different processes and the EU and US had made a big mistake in 2009 by separating them, APA reports.

Bryza emphasized that settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict would help Armenia normalize relations with Turkey.

 The OSCE Minsk Group has again failed to persuade the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents, Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev, to resume talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Referring to a diplomatic source, ITAR-TASS reports that the next meeting in Salzburg scheduled for June 12 will not be held. According to the source, such a meeting can only take place late in summer or early in autumn.

The Armenian and Azerbaijani FMs may have discussed detailed in Vienna as well.

NATO is intended to strengthen ties with the South Caucasus countries and is hopeful about the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, NATO Secretary General's Special
Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia James Appathurai stated this during the Pyatigorsk-Brussels televised bridge held on June 7.

"The cooperation with Armenia and Azerbaijan is of a certain importance both for us and Russia. Those countries desire to establish good relations with NATO and Russia, particularly in the peacekeeping sphere. I would like to emphasize we don't see any competition with Russia regarding the sphere of peacekeeping activity", - he said.

NATO is interested in swift solution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The Alliance believes that "one should not underestimate the danger, which springs from such hidden conflicts, which remain unsolved for a long period of time. The experience shows that it does not result in anything positive." "If this situation remains unaltered, the population will disintegrate and the hostility will go on."

At its today's meeting the ruling Republican Party of Armenia discussed the incident near Syunik ex-governor Suren Khachatryan's house, vice-speaker of the
parliament, Edward Sharmazanov, said.

"The issue is in the legal field and all the culprits will bear responsibility against the law", - he said and added that the candidacy of the new governor of Syunik and other staff replacements were not discussed at the meeting.

The gap in development between Armenia and Azerbaijan is growing more and more year by year, as Armenia is much ahead of Azerbaijan by the level of its democratic
development, vice-speaker of the Armenian parliament, Edward Sharmazanov, said when commenting on the statement by press-secretary of Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry, Elman Abdullayev. The latter said that "Comprehensive development of Azerbaijan continues, and the gap between the two countries has increased to unimaginable extent".

The evidence of that is the fact that at the state level Azerbaijan encourages racism and xenophobia.  "While Armenia preaches tolerance, Baku calls to war, but Yerevan - to peace.  Freedom of speech and mass media is utopia in Azerbaijan, but reality in Armenia. Dictatorship and personality cult worship are being rushly established in Azerbaijan, whereas political pluralism is developing in Armenia", - Sharmazanov said and added that stemming from such a reality, one can say that Azerbaijan's fiasco is not far off.

To note, today official Baku reacted at the statement by President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan during the meeting of Armenia's National Security Council, that Azerbaijan will suffer fiasco in two or three years.

Armenian president makes populist statements on Azerbaijan, which is an example of a dynamic development in the region, forgetting that it is his fault that the people of Armenia are in such a misery, spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Elman Abdullayev said. "As a result of the narrow thinking of the official Yerevan, Armenia was left out of the processes of regional development. Apparently, this fact irritates the Armenian president, who does not know how to justify himself before the Armenian people," Abdullayev said.  He noted that the Armenian president must report to his people and explain why Armenia stays away from all the regional contracts. "Comprehensive development of Azerbaijan continues, and the gap between the two countries has increased to unimaginable extent," Abdullayev said.

 Gas and electric power tariffs will rise 18.2% and 26.7%, respectively, in Armenia starting July 7 2013, the Public Services Regulatory Committee of Armenia adopted a relevant decision, Friday.  Head of the PSRC Department for Tariff Policy Garegin Baghramyan says that the Committee adopted the decision on the basis of ArmRusgasprom Company's application for revision of the gas tariff and satisfied it partially. Thus, the gas price for the consumers using up to 10,000 cu m of gas monthly will total 156,000
drams per 1,000 cu m instead of the current 132,000.  For those who consume over 10,000 cu m of gas monthly, gas tariff will rise to $276.98 instead of the current $243 per 1,000 cu m (up 14%).

Tariff for services of the operator will be increased from the current 20.618 drams for transportation of every 1,000 normal cu m of natural gas to 25.637 drams. Tariff for distribution of natural gas will rise from the current 13709.698 drams per 1,000 normal cu m of natural gas to 19278.021 drams.

Tariff for transportation of natural gas will rise from the current 6948.266 drams per 1,000 normal cu m of gas to 9806.045 drams.  Baghramyan said with the rising gas price, PSRC adopted a decision to increase also electric power tariff as the expenditures of power generating companies will grow.  Thus, in daytime, the electric power tariff for the population will make up 38 AMD per 1 kWh instead of the current 30 AMD and at nighttime the tariff will rise to 28 AMD instead of the current 25 AMD. For commercial users, the tariff will rise to 29-35 AMD per 1 kWh at daytime and 25 AMD at nighttime instead of the current 21-35 AMD per kWh daytime and 17 AMD per 1 kWh for nighttime depending on the volume of consumption.  ArmRusgasprom applied to the PSRC for rise of the gas tariff from current 132,000 drams to 221,000 drams per 1,000 cu m - 67.4%. Starting April 1 2013 Armenia has been purchasing gas from Gazprom OJSC for $270 per 1,000 cu m instead of the previous $180. The Government of Armenia is to
subsidize the rising gas tariff by 30%. As a result, the Russian gas price on the border is $189. (The exchange rate of the Armenian CB for June 7 is 414.92 AMD/1USD) .

Safarov case has radically changed the situation around the Karabakh peace process provoking a huge international scandal and throwing back the protracted negotiations, Alexander Iskandaryan, Director of the Caucasus Institute, said at the Caucasus- 2012 international conference in Yerevan, Friday.

"Afterwards, Baku's all talks and promises 'to provide Karabakh with the highest level of autonomy' remain beyond the logic of the negotiation process.  Glorification of a man for murder on ethnic motives made the relations of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan impossible. 

Iskandaryan believes that Safarov case has become a stalemate in the stalemate for the Karabakh peace process, as there were no opportunities to resolve the conflict even before that. So, it was hard for the mediators even to imitate the negotiation process, he said.

To recall, on August 31 the Armenian authorities adopted a decision to suspend diplomatic relations and official contacts with Hungary. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan made public the decision at a special meeting with the heads of diplomatic missions on Friday after the Hungarian authorities extradited Azeri officer Ramil Safarov, who was sentenced by a Hungarian court to life in jail for killing sleeping Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan with an axe in Budapest in 2004. Both the officers were undergoing an English language course under the NATO PfP program. The same day after Safarov's extradition, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev decreed to pardon the criminal.

Safarov case seriously damaged the international image of Azerbaijan and allowed Yerevan to demand sooner return of Nagorno Karabakh to the negotiating table.  President Serzh Sargsyan called Karabakh's return to the negotiations 'natural and logical.' It was thanks to the efforts of the Minsk Group that the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers met in Paris on October 27 and agreed on further meetings.

 In 2012 paternalism in Armenia finally prevailed over the period of ideologies, Alexander Iskandaryan, Director of the Caucasus Institute, said at the Caucasus- 2012
international conference in Yerevan, Friday.

"Starting with the election of Hrazdan Mayor on Feb 12 2012 up to the election of Yerevan Mayor on May 5 2013, technologies in Armenia had been steadily and inevitably gaining the victory over ideologies.  Roughly said, money won evil. In 2008, especially in the period from Feb 19 up to Mar 1, there was the fight of ideologies vs. technologies. However, at all the elections in 2012 it became obvious the opposition will fail to come to power from the streets," the political expert said.

Iskandaryan believes that at the parliamentary elections that predetermined the current state of affairs, the Republican Party of Armenia and the Prosperous Armenia Party applied exclusively technologies in terms of 'presents,' pressure, promises to voters. In the meantime, the Armenian National Congress and ARFD in their campaigns were advancing ideologies. The victory of the RPA and PAP at the parliamentary elections once against proved that Armenia has got tired of the protracted period of ideologies. 

"With Gagik Tsarukyan's refusal to run for president, it has become  clear that 'mousetrap shut'. Two pro- governmental parties and 3 or 4 oppositional ones entered the parliament. Now the opposition may say everything it wants from the parliament tribune but it cannot influence the decisions and the policy of the authorities. This is how technologies work in Armenia," he said.

Bill to recognize the Genocide of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey has been put on agenda of the Ukrainian Parliament, Ukrainian media reported.

The bill is not available on the official website of the Ukrainian Parliament yet. The authors of the bill are MPs Arsen Avagov (Batkivshina) and Vilen Shatvoryan (Party of Regions).

 Areximbank-Gazprombank Group CJSC offers its cardholders exclusive terms of summer rest in Dubai from VISA International payment system, the bank's press-service told ArmInfo.

Specifically, booking a room at Atlantis the Palm Hotel and paying for it via VISA, a customer can enjoy a discount  - VISA FAMILY FUN PACKAGE for two adults and two children. The offer is available starting May 1 up to Sept 27.  The package includes a night at the luxury hotel, a supper in one of the three restaurants for the amount of 800 AED, two SPA-procedures for the price of one, a free visit to the aqua park, aquarium, and kids club at the hotel, as well as preferential tariffs for swimming with dolphins in the gulf.

To book a room with further payment on VISA FAMILY FUN tariff, please visit www.atlantisthepalm.com/visafamily.

Today, the maximum buying rates at commercial banks of Yerevan were 413 drams for 1 dollar, 546drams for 1 EUR and 12,8 drams for 1 Russian ruble. The minimum
selling rates stood at 414,5 drams for 1 dollar, 549,5 drams for 1 EUR and 13,1 drams for 1 Russian ruble .