OPERA THEATER WILL SOUND ANEW: Specialists of the Japanese Sumitomo Corporation are expected to arrive in Yerevan to supervise the installation of a $300,000 sound system in the Yerevan Opera and Ballet Theater, ARMENPRESS reported September 5. The installation is expected to be completed by next April.

RAILWAY COMMUNICATION: Armenian railway is ready for re-launching rail connection with Turkey, said Armenian Minister of Transport and Communications Andranik Manukyan. As ARKA reported September 6 the minister said that the Armenian side "is ready to accept cargos even now".

OFFICIALVISIT TO BULGARIA: Armenian President Robert Kocharyan left September 7 for a two-day official visit to Bulgaria at the invitation of his counterpart. As Sofia's BTA web site informed the two presidents signed a joint declaration assessing favorably the state and prospects of Bulgarian-Armenian relations.

BOYCOTT IS OVER: Armenia's two main opposition groups the Justice alliance of Stepan Demirchian and Artashes Geghamian's National Unity Party ended on September 8 their boycott of the parliament as it opened its autumn session, RFE/RL Yerevan office reports.

UNAUTHORIZED BLOCKADE: PanARMENIAN.Net quoted the Co-chair of the US Congressional Caucasus on Armenian Issues Frank Pallone who said that the blockade of the Armenian border by Turkey and Azerbaijan is not authorized by the UN and other international organizations. Pallone noted in his speech at the 56th session of NGOs held September 8-10 that out of the Council of Europe member countries only Turkey and Azerbaijan are blocking the border of another CE member state. The Congressman reminded that one of the preconditions for Turkey's accession to the European Union is lifting the blockade against Armenia.

RUSSIAN OSCE CO-CHAIRMAN'S VISIT: Yuri Merzliakov, recently appointed Russian co-chairman of OSCE Minsk group, visited the region last week.

After his visit to Nagorno-Karabagh and Azerbaijan, he visited Armenia September 8 -10, where he held meetings with Armenian President Robert Kocharyan and Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian. During his meeting with the Armenian mass media the Russian envoy said that the aim of his regional trip was to get acquainted with the position of conflicted parties.

The OSCE co-chairmen will meet September 15 in Vienna to discuss the prospects of a Nagorno-Karabagh settlement.

NUCLEAR ISSUES: Jacques Panosian, a French Armenian, and a former vice-president of Framatome, threw his weight behind Armenian government officials' arguments that the Armenian nuclear power plant in Metsamor could remain in operation until 2016, ARMENPRESS reported September 9.
According to Panosian, the EU desire to see the earlier shutdown of the plant is prompted more by political motives than by safety concerns. "It is a well-known fact that all big states are concerned that nuclear power plants may be used to develop weapons of mass destruction. There is no doubt that these fears are not justified in the case of Armenia," he said.

SLEEPING LAWMAKER : Parliament member Tigran Arzakaniants threatened to tear in two the cameramen of the local commercial Shant TV station for daring to capture him while he was sleeping during a session of Parliament, AZG daily reported September 9.

NEW ARMENIAN BRANDY: Leading Russian importer of elite alcohol "RusImport" Trade House has introduced a new sort of Armenian brandy called "Arpi" to the Russian market|. It is produced by Ararat Brandy Plant, which is one of the oldest in Armenia, PanARMENIAN.Net reported September 10. The new product was presented to the Russian public in "RusImport" tasting room. Representatives of the business elite, prominent Russian politicians, show business stars, and Armenian Diaspora were present there at the event.

FROZEN MONEY: Armenian Government plans to set up a temporary Parliamentary commission, which will be looking into possibilities of returning to the population their bank deposits devaluated after the collapse of the Soviet Union. According to various estimations the index ranges from $500 million to $1.5 billion. ARMENPRESS reported September 10.

CHURCH DENIES ALLEGATIONS: The press office of the Armenian Apostolic Church has denied reports by Azerbaijani news agencies, which claimed that Allahsukur Pasazade, the spiritual leader of Caucasian Muslims, seated in Baku, sent a letter to Karekin II, the head of Armenian Church asking him "to undertake measures to stop destruction of historical and cultural monuments located in Azerbaijani territories now occupied by Armenian forces of Nagorno Karabagh." AZG daily reported September 11.

The Armenian Church said the Pasazade's letter was actually a response to an earlier letter sent by Karekin II in which the Armenian Catholicos called on the Muslim spiritual leader to use his authority and ask Azeri authorities to stop demolition of Armenian cultural and historical monuments, particularly cross stones, in the Azerbaijani enclave of Nakhichevan.

REMEMBER SEPTEMBER 11: Armenia joined world nations to commemorate the second anniversary of September 11, 2001 attacks on USA.

At the Moscow Cinema children were the first to pay homage to the innocent victims of the attack. They showed their paintings depicting Sept.11 as they saw the tragedy of that day.

As AZG daily reported, The US charge d'affaires, Vivian Walker, (ambassador John Ordway is on vacation), addressed the audience thanking Armenians for their support. 'We condemn those forces that try to weaken international community, everyone has the right to free life," she said.