Ukraine’s rebels delay disputed elections to support peace planOctober 7, 2015 - 13:07 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Separatists in eastern Ukraine said on Tuesday, October 6, they would postpone the disputed elections that were threatening to derail a peace plan, the Wall Street Journal reports. The move was immediately welcomed by Moscow and Kiev as another step toward implementing the plan signed in February in Minsk, Belarus, to end the 1½-year conflict that has claimed almost 8,000 lives. While a ceasefire has largely held in the region for a month, both sides have balked at political concessions aimed at reintegrating rebel-held areas into the rest of the country, with increased local powers. Separatist officials were planning to hold their own local elections in the coming weeks, a move Kiev had condemned as illegal. On Tuesday, they said via their news agencies that they would postpone the elections until next year. Kiev and its Western backers have demanded that local elections take place according to Ukrainian law as set under the peace plan, not on the rebels’ terms. The announcement follows a meeting in Paris on Friday between Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko, Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President François Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. It means a de facto extension of the peace plan, which was originally supposed to be carried out in full by the end of this year. 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 | Armenia to participate in key EU meeting for the first time ever National Assembly speaker Alen Simonyan has said that Armenia will for the first time participate in the Conference. U.S. reacts to Russia’s criticism of upcoming Armenia-EU-U.S. meeting Matthew Miller has weighed in on Russia’s criticism of an upcoming Armenia-EU-U.S. meeting. Lavrov sees ‘collapse’ of Russia’s ties with Armenia Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has underscored heightened tensions between Russia and Armenia. Russia warns Armenia against “falling into West’s trap” Zakharova maintained, however, that anything that will benefit the people of Armenia can only be welcomed. |