Former agriculture minister to form a new Syrian governmentApril 3, 2011 - 15:52 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has appointed Adel Safar, who served as agriculture minister in the cabinet which resigned last week, to form a new government, an official Syrian source said. He said Safar was expected to announce his new cabinet within two days. Assad accepted the resignation of Naji al-Otari's government after a wave of protests in which witnesses and activists say 60 people have been killed. The government has little influence in Syria, where power is held by Assad, his family and the security apparatus. Safar, a member of the ruling Baath Party, was born in 1953 and has university degrees from Syria and France. In his first comments on unprecedented protests against his rule, Assad said improving living conditions was a legitimate popular demand, and cited solving a water crisis that has displaced hundreds of thousands of Syrians over the past six years as a priority. Assad dismissed the broader concerns about repression and growing demands for political freedoms in the country that has been ruled by the Baath PArty since 1963. Safar was dean of the college of agriculture at Damascus University between 1997 and 2000, before being appointed to the important political position of secretary of the Baath Party branch at the university, haaretz.com 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 | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |