German Finance Minister calls for support to Spain rescue fundJuly 18, 2012 - 11:27 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble called on opposition parties Wednesday, July 18 to vote in favor of the rescue package worth up to 100 billion euros ($123 billion) for beleaguered Spanish banks, AFP reports. "We hope the SPD (Social Democrat) and (environmentalist) Green parties will assume their European responsibility" when the vote is held in parliament on Thursday, Schaeuble told the regional daily Rheinische Post in an interview. German MPs are being dragged back from holiday to vote on the rescue package for Spanish banks after the country's constitutional court ruled that parliament must be consulted every time the eurozone's current bailout fund, the EFSF, is pressed into action. Even though a handful of Merkel's own political allies may rebel, the package is expected to be passed with a large majority after opposition parties have already signaled they will vote in favor. Schaeuble was similarly confident. "We need a simple majority. But we want as great a degree of agreement as possible within our own ranks," he said. Top stories Yerevan has dismissed Turkey’s demand to shut down the Armenian nuclear power plant as “inappropriate”. Armenia will loan 2.9 billion drams to Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh), according to a draft government decision. The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan has “strongly condemned” Armenia’s decision. Kerobyan has said that for the first time in the history of Armenia, the volume of foreign direct investments amounted to about $1 billion. 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. Azerbaijan must respect human rights, Scholz tells Aliyev German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for greater respect for human rights in Azerbaijan. 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. |