Turkey decides to keep sanctions on FranceMarch 6, 2012 - 11:06 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey has decided to keep sanctions on France it imposed after French parliament endorsed a bill making it a crime to deny the Armenian Genocide, government spokesman said. According to Today’s Zaman, Bülent Arınç, who is also deputy prime minister, told reporters following a cabinet meeting on Monday, March 5, that the bill was brought to the agenda of the meeting and hailed the French Constitutional Council for ruling the bill “unconstitutional”. Shortly after the ruling was announced, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said the Cabinet would meet to consider whether to restart economic, political and military contacts with France that were frozen after the French parliament passed the law on Jan. 23. French President Nicolas Sarkozy asked his government last Tuesday to draft a new version of the genocide denial law. “The President of the Republic considers that [genocide] denial is intolerable and must therefore be punished,” his office wrote in a statement. Arınç downplayed Sarkozy’s second attempt to bring a modified version of the bill, saying that the French Assembly will go to recess on Tuesday before campaign for presidential elections slated for April. Arınç said Davutoğlu stated during the cabinet meeting that previously announced sanctions and measures taken against France must continue. Top stories Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance. The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. Hikmet Hajiyev has said that there is no place for USAID operation in Azerbaijan any longer. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. Partner news | 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. Armenian government besieged by protesters Protesters led by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan poured into Yerevan’s Republic Square to try to surround the seat of Armenia’s government. Armenia, Russia agree on repairing railway destroyed in floods Yerevan and Moscow have agreed to repair a flood-stricken railway in northern Armenia. EU calls on Azerbaijan to release all political prisoners The European Union calls on Azerbaijan to release all those imprisoned for exercising their fundamental rights. |