Urgent security challenges to be addressed at OSCE summit in AstanaNovember 30, 2010 - 18:48 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Heads of State and Government from the 56 OSCE participating States and 12 Partner countries are in Astana for the OSCE Summit, set to start December 1 in the Palace of Independence. As OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Kazakhstan's Secretary of State and Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev emphasized, the OSCE Summit - the first since the Istanbul Summit in 1999 and the first ever to be held in Central Asia - offered a unique opportunity to address urgent security challenges including transnational threats such as terrorism and trafficking, and the recent unrest in Kyrgyzstan and the situation in Afghanistan. "The very fact that after an 11-year pause the Astana Summit was convened this year, when we mark important anniversaries of the Helsinki Final Act and the Charter of Paris, will help to strengthen the OSCE, and consolidate trust and mutual understanding between the participating States," he said. The Summit was preceded by a three-part Review Conference in Warsaw, Vienna and Astana with civil society and governments to assess the States' implementation of OSCE commitments, OSCE official website reported. 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. |