Germany urges Russia, Ukraine to ease tension over CrimeaAugust 15, 2016 - 17:18 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Germany's foreign minister urged Russia and Ukraine on Monday, August 15 to reduce tensions over Crimea and stick to the troubled Minsk peace accords as a way of ending hostilities in eastern Ukraine, Reuters reports. The minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said he was worried about rising tensions between Moscow and Kiev after President Vladimir Putin last week accused Ukraine of using terrorist tactics to try to provoke a new conflict over annexed Crimea. Ukraine flatly denied this. Putin said at the time that there was no point in holding a new round of talks about the troubled peace process in eastern Ukraine on the sidelines of a G20 summit in China next month, stoking speculation Moscow might be preparing to abandon the Minsk process. But Steinmeier, at a news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the city of Yekaterinburg, said that even though the Minsk deal had stalled in places it should remain the focus of the peace process despite the alleged plot around Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. "In recent days there has been a spike in tensions around Crimea and that has worried us," said Steinmeier, in comments translated from German into Russian by state TV. "The main thing is that the situation doesn't get out of control. We call on everyone to de-escalate." Russia has repeatedly accused Ukraine of not honoring its obligations under the Minsk peace accords. Ukraine says Moscow is the one stirring trouble in eastern Ukraine by backing pro-Russian separatists there. Moscow denies this. 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 | Ucom Celebrates Telecommunication Day May 17 commemorates the founding of the International Telecommunication Union on May 17, 1865. Armenian, Azerbaijani heads of parliament meet in Switzerland President of the Armenian parliament Alen Simonyan met with the Speaker of the Azerbaijani Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova. Border residents overnight on highway to protest Armenia’s Residents of Kirants continue to express outrage over the government’s decision to cede land to Azerbaijan. Get Started: An educational platform for young startuppers The Get Started program which operates in two phases is an important platform for young startuppers. |