  EU summit on Caucasus opening todaySeptember 1, 2008 - 14:54 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Initiated by the UK, Poland and Baltic States, which call to review relations with Russia, an EU summit on Caucasus opens in Brussels today. 27 member states are expected to condemn Russia's recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. On the eve of the summit, some eastern European states called for sanctions against Russia. However, their initiative didn't find support. France's Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said the resulting statement doesn't imply sanctions. The situation in South Ossetia and Abkhazia was the topic of phone conversation between the French and Russian Presidents yesterday, NTV reports.   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 |  Related sections Latest news Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia  Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28.Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia.Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports.Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |
