No response from North Korea over Seoul-proposed talksJuly 20, 2017 - 13:38 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - North Korea has not responded to South Korea's offer to hold military talks Friday, July 21, Seoul said, dimming prospects of any ease in tensions after Pyongyang tested its first intercontinental ballistic missile, AFP reveals. "There has been no response yet," defence ministry spokesman Moon Sang-Gyun told journalists, adding that preparations were still underway in case the proposed meeting goes ahead. Seoul's defence ministry on Monday offered rare talks with the North at the Panmunjom truce village on the heavily militarised inter-Korean border. Separately Monday, the Red Cross in Seoul also proposed a meeting August 1 at the same venue to discuss reunions of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War. The twin proposals are the first concrete steps towards rapprochement with the North since South Korea in May elected the President Moon Jae-In, who favours greater engagement with Pyongyang. If the government meeting goes ahead, it will mark the first official inter-Korea talks since December 2015. Moon's conservative predecessor Park Geun-Hye had refused to engage in substantive dialogue with Pyongyang unless it made a firm commitment to denuclearisation. Park was engulfed in a massive corruption scandal that resulted in her impeachment and subsequent ouster from office in March. "There is no deadline," by which Pyongyang has to respond, a South Korea unification ministry official told Yonhap news agency. The South's Red Cross earlier said it hoped for "a positive response" from its counterpart in the North in hopes of holding family reunions in early October. If realised, they would be the first for two years. Millions of family members were separated by the conflict that sealed the division of the two countries. Many died without getting a chance to see or hear from their families on the other side of the heavily-fortified border, across which all civilian communication is banned. Around 60,000 members of divided families survive in the South. 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 | 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. Armenia, Russia discuss life extension of Metsamor nuclear plant Issues regarding the extension of life of the 2nd power unit of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant were discussed in Yerevan. Armenians stage more campaigns against territorial concessions to Azerbaijan Protesters blocked more roads across Armenia on Friday, April 26 in continuing attempts to scuttle territorial concessions to Azerbaijan. |