  Putin, Erdogan hold first phone call since Russian bomber's downing June 29, 2016 - 15:38 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday, June 29 sought to heal ties in their first phone call since Ankara downed one of Moscow's jets in Syria last year, AFP reports. A statement from the Turkish presidency said Erdogan and Putin "highlighted the importance of the normalisation of bilateral relations between Turkey and Russia." The November incident froze relations between the two nations and saw Moscow slap sanctions on Ankara. Putin also condemned the "heinous" attack at Istanbul's Ataturk airport Tuesday that killed at least 41 people and offered condolences to the Turkish people, the statement said. "Reiterating their commitment to reinvigorate bilateral relations and fight terrorism together, the two leaders agreed to remain in contact and meet in person," Erdogan's office said. The Kremlin confirmed that the conversation took place and said a statement would be released, AFP says. The breakthrough phone call by Putin came after Erdogan on Monday sent a letter to the Kremlin leader that Moscow said contained an apology.   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 Armenian, Saudi Foreign Minister meet in Riyadh  The two commended the positive dynamics of the development of political dialogue between Armenia and Saudi ArabiaPashinyan: Azerbaijan’s proximity shouldn’t worry border residents At the same time, he said that he “does not guarantee [the security of villagers] one hundred percent”.U.S. doesn’t see Russia as contributing to peace in Caucasus Patel made the remarks when asked about the implications of Russia’s withdrawal of peacekeepers from Karabakh.Up to 1% cashback when shopping on Wildberries with IDBank cards IDBank is launching an exclusive campaign on Wildberries for online shopping enthusiasts. |
