UN special envoy for Syria says Assad part to resolving conflictFebruary 13, 2015 - 15:02 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The UN's special envoy for Syria says Syrian President Bashar Assad remains part of the equation for ending the nearly four-year conflict, the Associated Press reports. Staffan de Mistura says he met with Assad recently and "will continue having very important discussions with him because he is part also of the solution." Mistura spoke Friday, Feb 13, after meeting with Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz. The envoy said only the Islamic State extremist group benefits from the Syrian war. The violence has claimed more than 220,000 lives, according to United Nations estimates. 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 | Police try to impede Armenian Church head’s access to war memorial Police tried to stop the supreme head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholicos Karekin II, from visiting a war memorial. Greece says ready to help as Armenia fights flooding consequences Greece is ready to assist Armenia in combatting the consequences of deadly floods in the country’s north. “He will leave”: Protest leader no longer demands meeting with Pashinyan Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan no longer demands a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Lemkin Institute petition seeks release of Armenians in Azerbaijan The Lemkin Institute is deeply concerned about the continued illegal detention of political prisoners from Karabakh in Azerbaijan. |