Iranian, Russian, Chinese leaders to address 70th UN General AssemblyJuly 27, 2015 - 20:09 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The presidents of China, Russia, Iran and the United States are scheduled to speak at the 70th annual UN General Assembly of world leaders in September — a rare appearance for Russian President Vladimir Putin and the first for Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Associated Press reports. The United Nations issued its first draft list of speakers Monday, July 27 for what could be its largest ever gathering of world leaders. Pope Francis is also set to address the General Assembly a few days before President Barack Obama, Putin, Xi and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speak at the gathering. Two years ago, a historic phone call between Obama and Rouhani during the UN meeting prompted speculation of a rapprochement between the nations and resulted in an interim nuclear pact that was followed by the landmark nuclear deal announced this month. The nuclear deal, and its implications for the Middle East and beyond, is expected to be a key topic in speeches this year. The list of speakers is expected to change several times before the high-level ministerial meeting begins Sept 28, but so far countries not sending a head of state include India, Britain, Syria, Saudi Arabia and North Korea. Other countries sending heads of state include France, Mexico, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Egypt, Venezuela, South Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Iraq. The Palestinians are listed as sending their head of state, while Israel is sending its head of government. 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 | Kazakh Foreign Minister arrives in Armenia Kazakh Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu on Monday, March 18 arrived in Armenia for a two-day trip. Aliyev touts “good chances” for normalizing ties with Armenia Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has declared that there are “good chances” for normalizing relations with Armenia. Top Armenian, Indian defense officials discuss cooperation The discussions primarily focused on enhancing cooperation in the defence sector between Armenia and India. IDBank unveils three sad stories about fraudsters IDBank has unveiled three scenarios of card fraud that have been happening more and more often in Armenia. |