There was no real need to open the Armenian Embassy in Vatican. Amid the economic crisis and shortage of budget funds, one could have combined the activities of several diplomatic missions in one embassy, for instance, in Vienna, Levon Zurabyan, Head of the opposition Armenian National Congress Faction, said during today's parliamentary hearings on the draft state budget 2014.    

 The European Parliament's resolution on the European Neighborhood Policy has nothing to do with Armenia's decision to join the Customs Union. Nor does it imply any change in the European Parliament's attitude towards the country, Co-Chairman of the Armenia-EU Parliamentary Cooperation Commission Milan Cabrnoch said in an interview with ArmInfo.

On October 30 President of the Armenian National Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan received the Delegation led by the Co-Chair of the European Union- Armenia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee (PCC) Milan Cabrnoch. The Co-Chair of Armenia- European Union Parliamentary Cooperation Committee Samvel Farmanyan was present at the meeting. 

 The European Parliament strongly supports the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group to peacefully resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Co-Chair of the Armenia-EU Parliamentary Cooperation Commission Milan Cabrnoch told journalists on Thursday.

 Armenia's Deputy Foreign Minister, Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, thinks the statement by Russian president's adviser, Sergey Glazyev, that Armenia would lose sovereignty in case of initialing the Association Agreement with the EU. "I don't want to comment on such statements which insult me", - he said during today's discussion of the draft budget 2014 in the parliament. 

 The European Parliament respects Armenia's decision to join the Customs Union and at the moment the sides are working out a new format of cooperation, Milan Cabrnoch, European Co-Chairman of the Committee for Armenia-EU Interparliamentary Cooperation, said at a press conference in Yerevan, Thursday.      

 Giorgy Margvelashvili's election as Georgian President has increased chances for the restart of the Abkhazia railroad, Director of the Oriental Studies Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia Ruben Safrastyan told journalists on Thursday.

 Armenia's Ombudsman Karen Andreasyan said in the parliament today that he is displeased with the financing volumes from the state budget 2014. The total of 213 million drams will be allocated from the state budget to the Ombudsman's Office in 2014. 

Civic activists, who have been fighting possible public transport fare hike in  Yerevan, were not allowed to take part in an open session of Yerevan Council of Elders.

In an interview to Turan US co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group James Warlick expressed hope for new efforts and confidence in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process.
He said that the goal of his mission is to help the two nations to find a long-term peaceful solution. 

The first president of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan is a political pensioner and loser. He is better to keep silent than speak, Vice-speaker of the National Assembly, press-secretary of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, Edward Sharmazanov commented on Ter-Petrosyan's statement that President Serzh Sargsyan should tender his resignation.  

 A 3.5-point earthquake was registered 20 km east of Tabriz, Northwestern Iran on Oct 30 08:49 PM.

The situation in the area of responsibility of the 102nd military base remains unstable and is fraught with risks of escalating tension in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, Commander of the 102nd military base of the Southern Military District of Russia's Armed Forces, Colonel Andrey Ruzinsky said in an interview to Krasnaya Zvezda, the central press organ of Russia's Defense Ministry.

 By the end of this year Ameriabank is planning to increase its trade financing portfolio to $70mln, Corporate Banking Director of Ameriabank Gagik Sahakyan told journalists on Wednesday.

He said that in Q3 2013 the bank's financial instruments and guarantees made up $53mln (29% more than in Q3 2012). As of Oct 1 2013 the bank had concluded 150 trade financing transactions (12% more than a year before).

 Ameriabank is going to increase the SME loan book to $80 mln, Gagik Sahakyan, Corporate Banking Director of Ameriabank CJSC, said at today's press conference.   

There is no alternative to Serzh Sargsyan's resignation, the first President of Armenia, the leader of the Armenian National Congress Levon Ter-Petrosyan said in an interview to Ilur.am.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and Co-Chairman of the Commission for Armenia-EU Parliamentary Cooperation Milan Cabrnoch have discussed the European Parliament's Resolution on European Neighborhood. Samvel Farmanyan, Armenian Co-Chairman of the Commission, was also present at the meeting. 

The press service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry has told ArmInfo that Nalbandian stressed the importance of further development and promotion of relations with the EU and gave high priority to the inter-parliamentary cooperation.  

Nalbandian stressed that the formulations about Nagorno-Karabakh in the European Parliament's Resolution on European Neighborhood run counter to the official stance of the European Union and to the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs' approach.  

He added that the authors of such formulations should realize that they are responsible for the possible negative impact on the peace process and for hindering the Co-Chairs' efforts aimed at peaceful settlement of the conflict.

The members of Let's  Save the Monument from the Oligarch civic movement are holding a  procession to the Kentron Department of the Police.  

The press service of the Preparliament reports that Gevorg Safaryan,  a representative of the Let's Save the Monument from the Oligarch  civic movement, was detained near the Government building on October  30. The police say that Safaryan was disturbing the work of  the Government members with his shouts through the microphone.

 Armenia's Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan is satisfied with how the Oval Plastic company is spending the 140mln AMD state loan it received from the Investments Universal Credit Organization.

While visiting Oval Plastic on Wednesday, the Premier said that the loan has helped the company to redouble its output. "We will continue financing the company so as to help it to export its products," Sargsyan said.

CEO of Oval Plastic Varuzhan Khalatyan said that 60mln AMD was spent to cover the debts and 80mln AMD on new equipment (leased from ACBA Leasing). 

"Now we are expecting to receive additional 60mln AMD to be able to modernize our production, to reduce our costs, to create new jobs and to become more competitive on the market," Khalatyan said.

He said that the company's products are in demand in Armenia, with only 10% exported to Georgia. "Once we modernize our production, we will be able to enlarge our exports and to secure contracts in Russia and Kazakhstan," Khalatyan said.

Established in 1995, Oval Plastic produces plasticware for food, drink, chemical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.

The key task of the new coach of the Armenian national football team will be to qualify for the UEFA Euro 2016 finals. This is my personal dream, the goal of my life, President of the Football Federation of Armenia Ruben Hayrapetyan told journalists on Wednesday.

He said that the key problem of Vardan Minasyan's team during the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification was that it had very few substitutes. "Our best match was the 2:1 win over Bulgaria in Yerevan, while the home loss to Malta was our biggest fiasco," Hayrapetyan said.