Britain scolds Kerry for Israeli government commentsDecember 30, 2016 - 13:34 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Britain scolded U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry for describing the Israeli government as the "most right-wing in Israeli history", a move that aligns Prime Minister Theresa May more closely with President-elect Donald Trump, Reuters reports. In a 70-minute speech just weeks before the Obama administration hands over to President-elect Trump, Kerry warned on Wednesday, December 28 that Israel's building of settlements was endangering Middle East peace. A spokesman for May said the British government believed that while the construction of settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories was illegal, it was clear that the settlements were far from the only problem in this conflict. "We do not ... believe that the way to negotiate peace is by focusing on only one issue," May's spokesman said in a statement. "And we do not believe that it is appropriate to attack the composition of the democratically-elected government of an ally." Kerry's remarks added to the strain in the relationship between Israel's government and the outgoing Obama administration after the U.S. cleared the way for a U.N resolution last week that demanded an end to Israeli settlement building. Trump had openly lobbied against the U.N resolution and criticized Obama's handling of the relationship. Britain supported the UN resolution. 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 | 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. |