Russia’s Putin to visit Germany, FranceMay 25, 2012 - 15:28 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Russian President Vladimir Putin will on June 1 make visits to Germany and France, the Kremlin said on Friday, May 25. The Russian president will arrive in these countries on the invitation from German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande, RIA Novosti reported. Putin will pay his first foreign visit as President to Belarus on May 31. The Russian leader and his Belarus counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, agreed on the visit during their meeting in the Kremlin on Tuesday. The meeting took place on the sidelines of an informal summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States, an alliance of former Soviet republics, in Moscow. Putin was sworn in as president on May 7. The Russian media earlier reported he was considering paying his first foreign visit after inauguration to either Kazakhstan or Belarus. 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 | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |