UN chief to visit industrial complex run by North, South KoreaMay 19, 2015 - 13:38 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will visit the Kaesong industrial complex just north of the inter-Korean border on Thursday, May 21, he told a media briefing, according to Reuters. The Kaesong industrial complex, a special economic zone a few kilometers north of the heavily fortified border, is jointly run by North and South Korea. Ban will be the third serving secretary general to visit the north, and the first since Boutros Boutros-Ghali crossed through the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between the two Koreas, at Panmunjom, in December 1993. Kurt Waldheim visited the North Korean capital of Pyongyang in 1979 and again in 1981. North Korea is under UN sanctions for its nuclear and missile programs. In December, the UN General Assembly urged the Security Council to consider referring North Korea to the International Criminal Court after a UN inquiry detailed wide-ranging abuses in the isolated country comparable to Nazi-era atrocities. 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 | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |