Austria to help Macedonia keep its border closed: paperMarch 16, 2016 - 08:01 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Austria will supply equipment to help Macedonia keep its border closed and Europe's main migrant route blocked, Reuters reported, citing a German newspaper. Last week, Macedonia closed its border with Greece to migrants. People who tried to cross the border on Tuesday were forced back to Greece, where about 12,000 migrants have been stranded. "Austria has offered support to Macedonia," Defense Minister Hans Peter Doskozil told the newspaper Die Welt. "The Defense Ministry is currently checking whether we can help with technical gear, such as night vision goggles." The Balkan route, Europe's main passage for migrants towards more affluent countries to the north, had "to be kept closed at all cost", Doskozil said. Last year, over 1.5 million migrants arrived in Europe, unleashing fierce political debates across the continent over how to handle the influx. Photo: EUObserver 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 | International cybercrime ringleaders arrested in Armenia, Ukraine Europol, Europe's crime agency, has arrested four ringleaders of several cybercrime networks that used botnets. Armenia skips CSTO Defense Ministers meeting A meeting of the Council of Defense Ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization countries began in Almaty. Armenian, Iranian foreigh policy chief talk over the phone The Foreign Minister of Armenia once again expressed condolences to his counterpart on the death of the President of Iran. Armenia, U.S. customs authorities to boost assistance with new deal The government has approved an agreement with the U.S. government on mutual assistance between the customs authorities. |