  NATO hopes that Armenian-Turkish normalization will be reenergized December 24, 2010 - 18:57 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Newly appointed NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for the South Caucasus and Central Asia James Appathurai said that NATO hopes that the Armenian-Turkish normalization will be reenergized. “We were pleased to see the signing of the bilateral protocols which offered a very clear prospect for improved bilateral relations to the benefit of the entire region. The stalling of the ratification process has been a setback, but we continue to hope that the process can be reenergized,” Appathurai said in an interview with PanARMENIAN.Net Commenting on media reports suggesting that NATO dislikes Turkey’s closer relations with the Arab world, Appathurai said: “Not only are these rumors unfounded, their premise is wrong as well. NATO is itself reaching out increasingly to various countries in the Arab world. Strong relations between Turkey, a key NATO Ally, and its Arab neighbors are an asset not only for Turkey, but also indirectly for NATO.” The full text of James Appathurai’s interview with PanARMENIAN.Net is available on Interviews division of Armenia and World section.   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 |  Latest news Cyprus parliament honors Armenian genocide victims  Acting House President Zacharias Koulias noted that April 24 marks the “black anniversary” of the Armenian genocide.Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed.Azerbaijan razes historic Armenian church to ground Azerbaijan has demolished the historic Armenian Church of St. John the Baptist (known as Kanach Zham).Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills |
