Armenia becomes associated member of International Organization of La FrancophonieOctober 20, 2008 - 16:51 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia has become an associated member of the International Organization of La Francophonie (IOF). The decision was taken during the 12th IOF summit in Quebec attended by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. Four main themes were discussed at the summit: democracy and the rule of law, economic governance, the environment, and the French language, the RA MFA press office reported. During a meeting with IOF Secretary General Abdou Diouf in April 2008, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian confirmed the republic's intention to deeper engage in the Organization's activities. Addressing the 12th summit, the Armenian Minister emphasized that Armenia is faithful to the Organization's values and appreciated highly the cooperation between its member states. 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. |