Hollande, Merkel meet in Paris to discuss EU's futureSeptember 15, 2016 - 16:51 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Germany's chancellor and France's president are meeting in Paris to coordinate strategy a day before an informal EU summit in Slovakia, the Associated Press reports. The French presidency said Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande are working "very closely" to agree on proposals for Friday, September 16's meeting of 27 EU leaders in Bratislava, with Europe's security at the top of the agenda. Hollande and Merkel want to create a permanent EU military headquarters which could dispatch European troops quickly when necessary — a long-standing project opposed by Britain. The French presidency said Thursday the two leaders will also push for better protection of the EU's external borders and improving cooperation among police, justice and intelligence services. Britain, which has voted to leave the EU, was not invited to the meeting. Related links: 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 | 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 |