PACE REPRESENTATIVE CALLED AZERBAIJAN "BANANA REPUBLIC"December 10, 2003 - 18:49 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Co-rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Committee for Monitoring Andreas Gross stated as obvious misinforming the rumors about his dismissal of the preparation of reports on Azerbaijan. In his interview to German Wave broadcasting station he ruled out such a possibility stating that the "CE does not take down the rules admitted in a "banana republic" and does not dismiss its representatives even in case of their critical attitude". To note, yesterday in Paris PACE Monitoring Committee started discussions of Andreas Gross and Matrinez Kassan's reports on Azerbaijan and the presidential election held there in October. The discussion is conducted in the framework of the hearings on "functioning of democratic institutions in Azerbaijan and Georgia", Baku mass media inform. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. 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". Partner news | Concept to complete Yerevan Cascade discussed at city hall A conceptual proposal to complete the Cascade complex in downtown Yerevan has been presented by Jean-Michel Wilmotte. Pashinyan visits flood-hit region Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Saturday, June 8 visited the disaster area in the Lori province. €3.5 mln EU grant to support justice reforms in Armenia The European Union has paid €3.5 mln grant to Armenia within a €11mln program on Support to Justice Reforms. Yerevan reacts to Baku’s proposal to see Minsk Group abolition Alen Simonyan has declared that Armenia is taking steps aimed at concluding a peace treaty with Azerbaijan. |