Merkel voices concern to Putin over dissent laws November 16, 2012 - 20:42 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on a visit to Moscow on Friday, Nov 16 that she had expressed her concern to President Vladimir Putin about a series of Russian laws being pushed by his party in parliament that could stifle dissent, Reuters reported. "We spoke about the situation of civil society in Russia and I expressed my concern about plans for certain laws," Merkel said at a joint news conference with Putin at the Kremlin. "I think we need to speak openly and honestly about these issues. This dialogue is a precondition for understanding each other and identifying the conflicts." Partner news  Top stories U.S. officials say they want to advance efforts to start talks between the Syrian government and opposition leaders. The international conference, backed by Russia and the U.S., aims to find a political solution to the conflict in Syria. Nuland, a career foreign service officer who was until recently State's top spokesperson, was expected to be nominated the post. Alkhatib said Assad should respond within 20 days and that he should then be given a month to dissolve parliament.   Partner news |  Latest news Israeli security expert says Syrian hacker attack foiled  Israel refuses to comment on the strike but officials at the time said Iranian missiles set for Hezbollah were hit.Gyumri to host Europe Day celebrations The celebrations will feature a small information fair, with EU project representatives to brief the visitors on the initiatives launched.1st Armenian interactive fairy tale available for iPhone/iPod Touch The tale sparked great interest in Diaspora. Such projects, namely interactive version of “Alice in Wonderland”, are popular abroad.Expert says Russian FM’s remarks in context of Madrid Principles No decisive developments will follow the meeting between Russian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers, David Jamalyan said. |
