  Azerbaijan panics over signature of Armenian-Turkish ProtocolsOctober 12, 2009 - 10:52 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on the Armenian-Turkish Protocols signed on October 10. The MFA slammed Turkey and quoted Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who numerously stated that "the border with Armenia will remain closed unless the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is resolved." "Normalization of Turkey-Armenia relations before the withdrawal of Armenian forces from Azerbaijani territories directly contradicts the national interests of Azerbaijan, and casts a shadow on the spirit of the friendly Azerbaijan-Turkey relations based on historical roots. Given the importance of opening all borders and links in the region, Azerbaijan believes that the unilateral opening of the Turkish-Armenian borders would call into question the architecture of regional peace and security," the Ministry said.   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 Topic 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 |
