Austria: Turkey Not Ready for EUSeptember 29, 2006 - 18:49 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The leader of Austria's main opposition party, Alfred Gusenbauer, said that Turkey is not yet ready to become a member of the European Union. In an interview with AP days before a general election in Austria, Gusenbauer, head of the country's Social Democrats, said there was a "common understanding" that Turkey was a European country. However he said it was not yet ready to become a member of the bloc because "not all European traditions have taken root in all parts" of the country."At least at the moment, Turkey is not mature enough for becoming a member of the European Union," Gusenbauer said. "I think there has to be a long path of negotiations and of development to move Europe and Turkey closer to each other. I cannot predict when the crossing point will be reached. But it's clear that without enormous endeavors on both sides, this is going to be very complicated," he said, reports ABHaber. 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. |