Georgia, Ukraine unlikely to be invited to NATOApril 3, 2008 - 13:25 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - France and Germany were poised to thwart a drive by President Bush to place the strategically important Black Sea states of Ukraine and Georgia on track for NATO membership at a tense alliance summit.German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy are concerned about provoking a crisis with Moscow, which is vehemently opposed to NATO taking on the two former Soviet republics located on Russia's southwestern borders and across key east-west oil and gas routes. "I would be happy to be proved wrong but I do not expect MAP for Georgia and Ukraine," said NATO spokesman James Appathurai, referring to the Membership Action Plan sought by the two former-Soviet republics when the summit resumed Thursday. All 26 allies must agree for the expansion plan to move forward and talks over dinner Wednesday failed to find a breakthrough, the AP reports. ![]() ![]() Azerbaijani authorities report that they have already resettled 3,000 people in the Nagorno-Karabakh town of Stepanakert. On June 10, Azerbaijani President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev will leave for Turkey on a working visit. 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. ![]() ![]() Partner news | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |