  Former Georgia President Eduard Shevardnadze dies at 86 July 7, 2014 - 13:36 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Former Georgia President Eduard Shevardnadze has died aged 86, BBC News reported. His aide Marina Davitashvili said he had passed away on Monday, June 7 after a long illness. In 1992 he became the head of state of the newly independent republic of Georgia. He led the country out of instability and civil war but in November 2003 was toppled in the "Rose Revolution" sparked by opposition allegations of irregularities in parliamentary polls. Born in 1928 in the city of Lanchkhuti, Mr Shevardnadze joined the Communist Party's youth movement in 1946 and became the party's head in Georgia in 1972. In 1985, he became foreign minister of the Soviet Union under reformist leader Mikhail Gorbachev. He resigned from the post in 1990 before briefly taking it up again in 1991 as the country was disintegrating. After returning to Georgia he managed to quell a civil war but was seen as having failed to tackle corruption.   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 |  Latest 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. |
