EU-Turkey Talks May Be Postponed for at Least a YearDecember 7, 2006 - 16:13 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - German Chancellor Angela Merkel offers to toughen conditions for Turkey's EU bid. She refrained from presenting ultimatum to Turkey but adheres to a tough line on the state. The European Union urges Turkey to recognize the Greek Republic of Cyprus and tries to find instuments of influence on Ankara.The proposal, which had been mooted at the recent NATO summit in Riga, was discussed by Merkel and Chirac when they met in Mettlach in western Germany on Tuesday. Merkel and Chirac met for their customary bi-monthly informal talks, which were followed by a three-way summit with Polish President Lech Kaczynski. EU foreign ministers are expected to agree on the freeze when they meet in Brussels on Dec. 11. The measure will see that eight of the 35 policy chapters, which all candidate nations must complete, remain closed. A deadline for resuming full talks does not form part of the proposal so far but officials have told the press that both France and Germany believe it is necessary to maintain pressure on Ankara. 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 | Armenian, Saudi Foreign Minister meet in Riyadh The two commended the positive dynamics of the development of political dialogue between Armenia and Saudi Arabia Pashinyan: Azerbaijan’s proximity shouldn’t worry border residents At the same time, he said that he “does not guarantee [the security of villagers] one hundred percent”. U.S. doesn’t see Russia as contributing to peace in Caucasus Patel made the remarks when asked about the implications of Russia’s withdrawal of peacekeepers from Karabakh. Up to 1% cashback when shopping on Wildberries with IDBank cards IDBank is launching an exclusive campaign on Wildberries for online shopping enthusiasts. |