Ukraine says Western leaders won’t boycott Euro 2012May 15, 2012 - 18:56 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday, May 15 it does not expect a boycott of next month's Euro 2012 football championship by Western leaders to materialize, RIA Novosti reported. At a meeting in Brussels on Monday, European Union foreign ministers failed to reach an agreement on whether to skip the championship in protest of Ukraine's treatment of jailed ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. The Polish Press Agency quoted Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski as saying that that "nobody proposed a sports boycott" and that nobody even used the word "boycott" during the Brussels talks, according to the EUobserver.com website. But Sikorski added that EU countries were "still waiting for developments in Ukraine before deciding whether politicians from individual countries will go to games." Western governments and Moscow have condemned the trial against Tymoshenko, who has been jailed for seven years over her role in the signing of a 2009 gas deal with Russia, as politically motivated. Last month, Tymoshenko, a leader of the 2004 pro-democracy Orange Revolution, accused prison guards at a penal colony in the eastern city of Kharkov of beating her as they attempted to forcibly take her to a hospital for treatment. Kharkov is one of the host cities for the tournament, staging Portugal against the Netherlands, among other games. Tymoshenko has said she is suffering from severe back pain and has been diagnosed with a herniated spinal disc. Pictures of what appeared to be bruises on Tymoshenko’s body posted on the Internet sparked angry protests from European politicians, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who threatened to boycott the Euro 2012 football matches to be held in Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities have rejected accusations of mistreating Tymoshenko. At Monday's meeting in Brussels, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt was among those who spoke out against boycotting the championship, while EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton and the foreign ministers of Belgium and Austria took a pro-boycott line, the EU Observer said. Ashton was quoted as saying "we are very concerned about the case of Yulia Tymoshenko and ... other people treated in a similar fashion.” She added, however, that the visit of Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov to Brussels on Tuesday was an opportunity for Kiev to bury the hatchet. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. |