LONDON, March 18 (Xinhua) — The British boy kidnapped in Pakistan two weeks ago was reunited with his father on Thursday and is coming back to Britain.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown welcomed news of the imminent return of the schoolboy Sahil Saeed to Britain after he was reunited with his father in Pakistan.
Speaking to reporters while on a visit to a new cancer treatment center in Sahil\’s home town of Oldham, Brown praised the \”exceptional role\” played by Greater Manchester Police and offered his thanks to the government of Pakistan.
Brown said: \”After 12 days, Sahil will be able to return to this country. I know he\’s been re-united with his father at the British High Commission. I think we have got to recognize the exceptional role played by Greater Manchester Police and thank the Pakistan government. This is a coordinated effort to help a young boy, only five and separated from his family and now reunited with his father.\”
\”People, of course, are very, very happy that this potentially tragic story is ending in Sahil coming back to our country today. We will be offering our good wishes to the family,\” he added.
Five-year-old Sahil was reported kidnapped in Pakistan while visiting relatives with his father on March 4 and released by his kidnappers on Tuesday and has been reunited with his father at the British High Commission in Islamabad.
Speaking on Sky News on Thursday morning, British High Commissioner to Pakistan Adam Thomson said, \”kidnapping is a concern, one of a number, and that is reflected in the Foreign Office\’s travel advice. But the overwhelming majority of travelers come here have a good time and go home without trouble. Sahil is expected to return to Britain with his family shortly.\”
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MOSCOW, March 18 (Xinhua) — After holding crunch talks to help seal a new strategic arms reduction treaty (START) here on Thursday, top diplomats of Russia and the United States, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, all voiced confidence to clinch the deal in the near future.
START PREPARATION INTO FINAL STAGE
Lavrov announced at a joint news conference with Clinton that preparation on the successor START treaty has reached final stage.
\”There is every reason to believe that we have approached the final stage in the finish stretch,\” said Lavrov.
He also said delegations from both countries will soon report on the completion of their arms treaty talks. Then they will discuss over the date and venue for the signing of the START treaty.
Clinton said \”substantial progress\” has been made on arms treaty talks. She also hoped that negotiations would finish soon.
Russia and the United States have been working on a new arms control deal since Russian president Dmitry Medvedev and U.S. President Barack Obama met in April last year, in an effort to \” reset\” their ties plunged to an unprecedented low during the final days of former U.S. Bush administration.
An outline of the new pact, agreed by both presidents, includes slashing nuclear warheads to 1,500-1,675 and delivery vehicles to 500-1,000.
NUCLEAR ARSENALS CUT A GLOBAL CONCERN
As two major nuclear powers among the world, the Russian-U.S. nuclear arms deal has somewhat become a major global issue of concern.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who was currently in Moscow for a working visit, expressed his anticipation on this upcoming START treaty on Thursday.
When being interviewed by the Echo of Moscow radio earlier in the day, the UN chief said if the two countries sign a new START treaty, it would be very important and positive for the upcoming Nuclear Security Summit slated for April 12-13, in Washington, and the Review Conference on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in New York in May.
Hopefully the new START treaty will become a positive agreement, he added.
Later in the day when meeting with Medvedev, Ban reiterated his optimism.
\”I expect and sincerely hope that you and U.S. President ( Barack) Obama will sign the START treaty as soon as possible,\” Ban told Medvedev.
In reply, Medvedev said \”I hope so\” in English.
POLICY DIVERGENCES OR TECHNICAL DETAILS
Despite rounds of negotiations, Russia and the United States failed to reach a pact before the original 1991 START expired in December last year.
The protracted talks thus aroused media speculation that policy divergences, particularly of those surrounding the U.S. plans for missile defense in Europe, had prevented the two side from clinching the deal.
ATHENS, March 18 (Xinhua) — Greece will not ask for financial aid from anybody, Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou said during a cabinet meeting on the new tax bill here on Thursday.
\”We are willing to find the solution on our own,\” Papandreou stressed upon his return from Brussels earlier in the day, adding that Athens still expects though a stronger message of political support by other European partners at the EU summit on March 25.
The Greek premier repeated that \”what Greece is asking for is to be able to borrow on the same conditions as other countries, so that Greek peoples\’ sacrifices will not be wasted due to high interest rates.\”
Reassuring Greek citizens that their sacrifices will lead to an exit from the economic crisis, Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou presented in the cabinet meeting and the parliament earlier on Thursday the basic guidelines of the new tax bill.
The bill aims at the fair redistribution of wealth in Greece through a fight against tax evasion which will help cut budget deficit.
Papaconstantinou said that the new reform of the taxation system represents \”a big revolution\” for Greece, since \”it brings an end to unreasonable privileges of minorities against the majority.\”
The main principles of the tax bill include a tax rate of 45 percent to incomes above 100,000 euros per year, a tax exemption for people with an annual income of less than 12,000 euros and lower tax rates for tax payers of low and middle classes.
According to the new bill a 45 percent tax rate will be applied to dividends and a tax rate ranging from 0.1- 2 percent on large real estate holdings worth more than 400,000 euros.
The income of the Greek Orthodox Church will be taxed by 20 percent and offshore companies will have to pay a 15 percent tax for real estates in Greece.
The socialist government stressed that they are willing to hear the objections and suggestions of the other political parties, trade unions, representatives of the business world and citizens in the following days.
Demonstrations and strikes have escalated during the past two months, as many Greeks oppose to the measures proposed, even though they agree that measures should be taken to solve the economic woes of Greece.
Taxi drivers called a 24-hour strike on Thursday, the fourth this year, and held a march outside the parliament building at noon protesting the tax bill, as the Finance Minister addressed a special committee.
The bill will be put for approval by the cabinet next Tuesday and then it will be tabled in parliament for vote, where the ruling PASOK party holds a wide majority.
Related:
Greece threatens to go to IMF if EU fails to deliver aid plan
BRUSSELS, March 18 (Xinhua) — Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou Thursday called for a clear European Union (EU) aid plan for his debt-laden country or he would turn to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
ROME, March 18 (Xinhua) — The majestic 16-century Chigi Palace, which hosts the headquarters of the Italian government, will open to the public for the first time in history from March 27-28 during the Italian Environmental Fund\’s (FAI) Spring Days, officials said.
Tourists will get the opportunity to visit the secret chambers of power, where Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and his cabinet meet regularly, the FAI and Italian Cultural Heritage Minister Sandro Bondi announced at a press conference here on Thursday.
For the occasion other 589 unique artistic, historical and naturalistic sites, usually inaccessible, will be open to the public with free entrance tickets. The special initiative aims at spreading awareness on Italy\’s cultural and natural heritage by attracting the highest number of people.
A total of 225 locations are concerned. Apart from the guided visits, the organizers have planned horse, bike, trekking and even paragliding itineraries inside Italy\’s artistic and natural treasures.
Among the sites open to the public are the apartment of famous composer Giuseppe Verdi at Milan\’s Grand Hotel, the horse and bike tour of St. Francis monasteries in Latium and a traditional cheese-producing manor farm in Puglia.
Cultural Heritage Minister Bondi praised the partnership between private and public bodies in preserving Italy\’s artistic world. \”Our joint work is crucial in making Italians become aware of their historical origins and sense of national belonging,\” he said.
The FAI is a non-profit organization focused on the promotion and preservation of Italy\’s artistic and natural heritage. It is run by volunteers and funded by members\’ donations.
Ilaria Borletti Buitoni, FAI president, noted that the goal of the Spring Days was to lead the public inside Italy\’s \”precious, unique and rare sites in a special encounter with beauty.\”
Borlotti announced that for the occasion the FAI will start restoring one of L\’Aquila\’s architectural jewels, the Fountain of the 99 Spouts, severely damaged in the terrible earthquake that hit the Abruzzo region last April causing more than 300 deaths.
http://www.lersus.com
ATHENS, March 18 (Xinhua) — The Greek Cabinet Council of Foreign and Defense Affairs approved on Thursday a double deal to sell a majority stake of 75.1 percent at the Greek shipyards of Skaramangas near Athens to Abu Dhabi Mar (ADM) shipbuilding group and purchase 7 submarines from Germany built at Skaramangas.
According to the agreement, the state-controlled ADM will head the new consortium scheme at Skaramangas. The German ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems which is already involved in the Greek shipyards will retain a 24.9 percent stake, while the Greek government reserves the right to veto the further transfer of shares and dismissal of Greek employees. The new owners had asked for the lay- offs of up to 350 workers in the first place.
Under the final deal, the Greek side will finally receive a submarine named \”Papanikolis,\” which was constructed at Skaramangas, but leans, at a price of 300 million euros from Germany.
With a certification for safe navigation by German experts, Greece intends to resell it to a third country at a price that can reach 500 million euros. According to government sources, there is interest, but Athens does not rule the prospect \”Papanikolis\” will join the force of the Greek Fleet.
The Greek Navy will also get five new Type 214 submarines and one Type 209 which cost 500 million euros each. The deal on the submarine program between Athens and Berlin has an almost 10-year history, but there have been long delays and complications.
According to an earlier agreement, Greece would pay up to 200 million euros per year for nine years, but the German side, as Greek government sources stressed, asked for a higher amount of money in the near future.
\”This solution protects jobs, protects the Greek industrial infrastructure and shipbuilding, protects the interests of the Greek Navy and the interests of the Greek state amid a severe financial problem in the best possible way,\” Defense Minister Evangelos Venizelos stressed. (1 euro = 1.3660 U.S. dollars)
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BRUSSELS, March 18 (Xinhua) — The eurozone trade balance fell back into deficit in January, the first since last September, the European Union (EU)\’s statistics office Eurostat said on Thursday.
The first estimate by Eurostat showed the 16 EU nations that share the euro registered a deficit of 8.9 billion euros (12.1 billion U.S. dollars) in the first month of 2010, compared with a surplus of 4.1 billion euros in December of 2009.
It was the first time the eurozone trade balance with the rest of the world was in negative territory since September of 2009.
But the deficit was smaller than that recorded a year ago, when the euro zone posted a deficit of 12.1 billion euros, mainly thanks to the recent depreciation of the euro against the U.S. dollar amid Greek debt crisis.
Official figures also showed the 27-nation EU registered a deficit of 22.5 billion euros in January, compared with a smaller deficit of 2.5 billion euros in the previous month and a larger deficit of 28 billion euros in the same period of last year.
For the whole year of 2009, EU trade flows with all of its major partners fell, except for exports to China, which rose by four percent compared with 2008 despite an international economic crisis.
Its exports to Russia dropped the most by 37 percent and decreased by 18 percent to the U.S., the EU\’s largest trading partner. (1 U.S. dollar = 0.732 euro)
http://www.lersus.com
Gauthier Lefevre, staff member of the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) who was abducted in Sudan\’s western region of Darfur in October, is interviewed in Khartoum, capital of Sudan, March 18, 2010. Gauthier Lefevre was freed on Thursday. (Xinhua/Mohammed Babiker)
PARIS, March 18 (Xinhua) — A third French hostage was freed in Sudan on Thursday after being held by local militants for nearly five months, French authorities confirmed later on the day.
The 35-year-old Gauthier Lefevre, a worker of the International Committee of the Red Cross, was kidnapped in the restless Darfur region, west of Sudan, in October 2009.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy thanked the Sudanese authorities \”for their particularly precious help in handling this crisis,\” according a statement from the Elysee Palace.
Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner also expressed his happiness about the release of the aid worker, who he said was the last French national held in Darfur. \”I severely condemn those who target humanitarian workers and endanger the population for whom humanitarian aid is indispensable, \” a ministry statement quoted Kouchner as saying.
Two other French aid workers were freed in Darfur last weekend after being held hostage for nearly four months.?
Gauthier Lefevre, staff member of the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) who was abducted in Sudan\’s western region of Darfur in October, arrives in Khartoum, capital of Sudan, March 18, 2010. Gauthier Lefevre was freed on Thursday. (Xinhua/Mohammed Babiker)
Gauthier Lefevre (R), staff member of the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) who was abducted in Sudan\’s western region of Darfur in October, hugs his colleague in Khartoum, capital of Sudan, March 18, 2010. Gauthier Lefevre was freed on Thursday. (Xinhua/Mohammed Babiker)
Gauthier Lefevre (L), staff member of the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) who was abducted in Sudan\’s western region of Darfur in October, arrives in Khartoum, capital of Sudan, March 18, 2010. Gauthier Lefevre was freed on Thursday. (Xinhua/Mohammed Babiker)
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BUDAPEST, March 18 (Xinhua) — The Hungarian government and the Defense Ministry have begun an investigation into two Israeli planes that flew over Budapest\’s Ferihegy Airport twice on Wednesday, as if to land, but then continued their flight, the daily Magyar Nemzet reported on Thursday.
Israeli Ambassador Aliza Bin-Noun said the flyovers had been routine and the craft, which belonged to the Israeli Air Force, had permission from the Hungarian National Transport Authority. The Foreign Ministry of Hungary was also aware of the action, she said, vehemently denying that the aircraft were spy planes. The two planes had conducted similar maneuvers at Varna Airport in Bulgaria,Bin-Noun added.
Hungarian Defense Ministry spokesman Istvan Bocskai said Defense Minister Imre Szekeres had initiated an investigation to determine who had granted the planes permission to conduct the \” approach and flyover\” maneuvers, adding that the Defense Ministry had no prior knowledge of the Israeli action.
Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai, meanwhile, demanded immediate information from the foreign, defense and transport ministers.
The Hungarian National Transport Authority issued a statement on Thursday afternoon saying that the two Israeli Air Force planes had been in compliance with Hungarian law and had observed all safety regulations. The request to conduct the flyover had been timely, the statement added, and had gone to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which had transferred it to the air traffic control section of the National Transport Authority, which in turn granted permission to conduct the exercise.
Security expert Georg Spoettle told local wire service MTI that the maneuvers looked like a test flight, not an espionage action because both planes were flying low and in broad daylight. He also noted that the El Al Israeli Airline flew between Tel Aviv and Budapest on a daily basis and could have been used for intelligence gathering if that had been the goal. Spoette is a German security expert who worked in Berlin with the German National Office of Criminal Investigations for over twenty years. He now lives in Hungary.
Spoettle noted that the two planes, whose photo appeared in Magyar Nemzet, were tactical craft, used to transport troops and observe foreign planes entering their home air space, not spy planes. He added his belief that the aircraft were undergoing technical tests, possibly testing to see how far they could travel without refueling.
http://www.zokn.com The on-strike taxies line up on a street in Athens, capital of Greece, March 18, 2010. Taxi drivers union in Athens called a 24-hour strike in protest against the new taxation measures announced by the Greek government on Thursday. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) The on-strike taxies line up on a street in Athens, capital of Greece, March 18, 2010. Taxi drivers union in Athens called a 24-hour strike in protest against the new taxation measures announced by the Greek government on Thursday. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) Taxi drivers attend a demonstration in Athens, capital of Greece, March 18, 2010. Taxi drivers union in Athens called a 24-hour strike in protest against the new taxation measures announced by the Greek government on Thursday. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) Taxi drivers attend a demonstration in Athens, capital of Greece, March 18, 2010. Taxi drivers union in Athens called a 24-hour strike in protest against the new taxation measures announced by the Greek government on Thursday. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) The on-strike taxies line up on a street in Athens, capital of Greece, March 18, 2010. Taxi drivers union in Athens called a 24-hour strike in protest against the new taxation measures announced by the Greek government on Thursday. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) Taxi drivers attend a demonstration in Athens, capital of Greece, March 18, 2010. Taxi drivers union in Athens called a 24-hour strike in protest against the new taxation measures announced by the Greek government on Thursday. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) Taxi drivers attend a demonstration in Athens, capital of Greece, March 18, 2010. Taxi drivers union in Athens called a 24-hour strike in protest against the new taxation measures announced by the Greek government on Thursday. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) Taxi drivers confront policemen during a demonstration in Athens, capital of Greece, March 18, 2010. Taxi drivers union in Athens called a 24-hour strike in protest against the new taxation measures announced by the Greek government on Thursday. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) http://www.znnw.com
BELGRADE, March 18 (Xinhua) — Serbia\’s possible boycott of the Western Balkans conference this weekend in protest against the invitation of Kosovo threatens to spoil the first meeting of all the political leaders in the region in 18 years.
The joint organizers Slovenia and Croatia have so far failed to secure the presence of both Serbia and Kosovo, the former Serbian province which declared independence in 2008.
The absence of Serbia would undermine the conference\’s goal of resolving regional disputes before European Union accession talks.
Serbian President Boris Tadic said earlier that Serbia would take part in the conference if Kosovo \”participates within the format defined by Resolution 1244 of the UN Security Council,\” or UNMIK Kosovo, the acronym for the UN mission in Kosovo..
The ethnic Albanian-dominated Kosovo unilaterally declared independence on Feb. 17, 2008. Serbia has said it would never recognize Kosovo\’s independence, regarding the move as contrary to international law.
However, Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said he would only attend the meeting as a representative of a sovereign state, not UNMIK Kosovo.
Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor said Wednesday that \”I believe that everything will be arranged and that all those whom we, as organizers, are expecting at this conference will be there.\”
Earlier, Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor described the prospects of getting Serbian and Kosovo officials together at the conference as \”an impossible mission.\”
Pahor\’s surprise trip to Belgrade on March 17 in a bid to salvage the regional conference was unsuccessful in convincing Tadic to relent.
The conference, under the name \”Together for the European Union: Contribution of the Western Balkans to the European Future,\” is to be held on Saturday in Slovenia.
The Slovenian foreign ministry said Wednesday that the meeting would go ahead this weekend regardless of a possible boycott by Serbia.
Related:
UN war crimes tribunal for former Yugoslavia needs more time: Ban
UNITED NATIONS, March 16 (Xinhua) — The United Nations war crimes tribunal set up in the wake of the Balkan conflicts in the 1990s will need more time to complete its work after originally being scheduled to wind down at the end of this year, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said here Tuesday.
The secretary-general told reporters at the United Nations Headquarters in New York that \”there is some broad agreement now that the ICTY (International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia) may need at least a few more years, to 2013 or so,\” before it can finish its work.? Full story
Slovenia and Slovakia want Western Balkans in EU
BELGRADE, March 15 (Xinhua) — The Western Balkans is important for peace in Europe and should be included in the European Union, Slovenian President Danilo Tuerk and his visiting Slovakian counterpart Ivan Gasparovic agreed at their meeting in Brdo Pri Kranju, Slovenia on Monday. Efforts to improve trade and the EU accession of Western Balkan countries, topped talks between Tuerk and Gasparovic.
President of European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso (R) and visiting Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou attend a press conference after their meeting at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, March 17, 2010. (Xinhua/Wu Wei)
by Liang Yeqian, Maria Spiliopoulou
ATHENS, March 18 (Xinhua) — Labor unions across Europe will take action as Greece is left alone in the economic crisis by other short-sighted European Union member states, Yannis Panagopoulos, president of umbrella labor union GSEE, told Xinhua in an interview.
\”The solidarity of other European labor unions has been impressive. We witness the phenomenon of German labor unions denouncing their government\’s unwillingness to back Greece,\” Panagopoulos said, referring to the fact that Berlin, together with other EU member states, is still not offering Greece enough support to solve its fiscal crisis.
Apart from making pledges of support, EU labor unions, especially those from Southern European countries, will join forces in the near future, perhaps in May, he said.
Panagopoulos believed that EU member states should give Greece more help for their own development.
\”The Portuguese, Spanish and Italian people understand that we share the same destiny; they all know that when Greece gets through this adventure, it will be their turn next,\” he said.
Panagopoulos stressed that over 70 percent of the Greek debt is owed to British, French and German banks.
\”You see that if Greece will not be able to pay, the European financial system will be greatly affected,\” he said.
\”The current stance of some European political leaders is unacceptable. The problem is not only Greek, it\’s European,\” he added. \”If they do not support Greece, there will be a domino effect across the continent.\”
Speaking to Xinhua in the GSEE headquarters, Panagopoulos echoed a request made by Greek state officials, analysts, economists and citizens these past few weeks.
\”What we ask for is that Greece will be able to take loans on the same interest rates as others,\” he said, urging the EU to crack down on speculative trading blamed for aggravating the Greek debt crisis.
Moreover, he warned that the EU might become a puppet of the United States and other markets if Europe doesn\’t reform its mechanism to balance inequalities across the EU.
Commenting on what went wrong in Greece, Panagopoulos pointed to the structural weaknesses of the Greek national economy and a series of mistakes made by previous governments.
He claimed the EU member states which hesitate to support Greece should also share the responsibility.
\”Part of Europe\’s political elite knew what was going on, that the previous conservative government was hiding the truth, but due to ideological links, nobody would speak,\” Panagopoulos said.
Police search for clues around the offices of a Greek far-right group \”Golden Dawn\”, where a bomb attack occurred, in Athens, capital of Greece, March 19, 2010. No injuries were reported as there had been a warning phone call a few minutes before the time bomb blast. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)
ATHENS, March 19 (Xinhua) — An explosion occurred at the office of a far-right group named \”Golden Dawn\” in the centre of Athens early on Friday morning.
No injuries were reported, but only minor damages, as there had been a warning telephone call to a Greek newspaper a few minutes before the time bomb blasts.
The bomb which had been placed outside the offices of \”Golden Dawn,\” at the corridor of the 5th floor of a building near the crowded Omonia square in the centre of Athens, exploded at 08:46 local time, according to the police.
Exactly 22 minutes earlier an unidentified person had made the warning call to \”Eleftherotypia\” daily, a common practice for Far-Left, anarchist and terrorist groups that operate in Greece.
The police had managed to evacuate the area, when the bomb exploded and windows of nearby buildings broke in rush hour.
Police cordone off the offices of a Greek far-right group \”Golden Dawn\”, where a bomb attack occurred, in Athens, capital of Greece, March 19, 2010. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)
No group has claimed responsibility yet, as police investigate, gathering evidence that could lead to the perpetrators.
In a first comment from the government, government spokesperson George Petalotis condemned the attack, stressing that \”whichever is the purpose, is cancelled by the fact that occur in crowded areas.\”
\”Golden Dawn\” is the most known far-right group in Greece. It was created in the early 1980s and its members have been accused and sentenced to prison terms for a series of attacks against immigrants.
Police investigate at the offices of a Greek far-right group \”Golden Dawn\”, where a bomb attack occurred, in Athens, capital of Greece, March 19, 2010. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)
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BERLIN, March 19 (Xinhua) — A high-speed German train ran over a man on Thursday late-night when whooshing from Frankfurt to Cologne, causing the busy line to be closed for hours, operator Deutsche Bahn and police reported Friday.
The accident happened at late night near Idstein, a northeastern town of Hesse state. Police said it is not known weather the man had commit a suicide.
The Inter City Express (ICE) train, which had 630 passengers at that time, had to disembark and waited in the dark until a group of buses arrived to transport passengers to Cologne.
More than a dozen other trains were canceled or forced to change the route when clearance were underway, a Deutsche Bahn spokesperson said. It took about four hours before the line was re-opened.
The railway between Frankfurt to Cologne is one of the busiest lines in Germany, with an average of eight trains per hour travelling along the track.
Germany\’s ICE train, which started in the 1980s, has an average speed of 200 km per hour, and its record speed is over 400 km per hour.
http://www.znnw.com
MOSCOW, March 19 (Xinhua) — The United States and Russia were \”on the brink\” of clinching a new nuclear arms control deal, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Friday.
After meeting Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Friday, Clinton said the two countries had resolved all major issues concerning a new nuclear arms reduction treaty.
\”There are some technical issues that remain. But we are on the brink of signing a new agreement between the United States and Russia,\” she said at a joint news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
But Clinton did not specify a date or venue for the signing of the pact.
Lavrov said a reset in Russia-U.S. relations had materialized and both sides should not stop in their steps forward. \”This movement requires ongoing dialogue, without any pauses,\” he said.
Russia and the United States have been working on a new arms treaty since Medvedev and Obama met in April last year, in an effort to rebuild their ties, which plunged to an unprecedented low during the final days of former U.S. Bush administration.
Despite rounds of negotiations, the two sides failed to reach a pact before the original 1991 START expired in December last year.
An outline of the new accord, agreed by both presidents, includes slashing nuclear warheads to 1,500-1,675 and delivery vehicles to 500-1,000.
Related:
Russia, U.S. close to clinch new START deal
MOSCOW, March 18 (Xinhua) — After holding crunch talks to help seal a new strategic arms reduction treaty (START) here on Thursday, top diplomats of Russia and the United States, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, all voiced confidence to clinch the deal in the near future.?? Full story
New START treaty to combine offensive, defensive weapons: Lavrov
MOSCOW, March 16 (Xinhua) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reassured Tuesday that the new strategic arms reduction treaty (START) with the United States will combine offensive and defensive weaponry.
Lavrov reiterated Russia\’s stance concerning the issue in a joint press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart Konstantin Grishchenko broadcast live by local TV station Russia Today. Full story?
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BRUSSELS, March 19 (Xinhua) — The European Union (EU) top economic official called on Friday for a concrete deal at a summit next week on possible aid for Greece amid its debt crisis.
\”It is important that the EU in the course of next week comes to a more specific conclusion, specific political conclusion about the European framework for coordinated and conditional action, if needed and required,\” EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn told reporters.
EU leaders were scheduled to meet in Brussels on March 25-26, with the Greek debt crisis set to top the agenda.
Rehn said it was important for the EU to politically conclude work that had been done.
At a monthly meeting earlier this week, EU finance ministers agreed on technical arrangements on how to aid Greece if necessary, leaving the final decision on a detailed plan to EU leaders.
Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou said on Thursday his country would resort to help from the International Monetary Fund if it failed to receive a concrete aid promise in Europe.
http://www.gtrip.net
PARIS, March 19 (Xinhua) — European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has told a French radio channel the European Union would aid Greece if demanded, according to a transcript released by the channel Friday.
The whole European Union, including Germany, \”is ready in case Greece needs (the aid) and so far, Greece hasn\’t asked for any financial support,\” Barroso confirmed in an interview with France 24, recorded at the European Summit on Thursday at Brussels.
Eurozone countries should prepare \”some kind of mechanism\” as soon as possible in case Greece asks for finanical aid, the president said, adding the EU would try all measures to restore the financial stability of Greece.
Barroso also said the EU would bring forward \”a mechanism of coordinated systems\” that was \”based on bilateral loans but within the European framework\” provided that all members agrees on it.
However, he didn\’t exclude the possibility that Greece would turn to International Monetary Fund for help, adding the IMF\’s help wouldn\’t harm the prestige of the EU.
\”What I want to remind is that Greece and all the member states of the EU are members of the IMF … EU member states are by far the biggest source of revenue for the IMF,\” Barroso said.
\”So it\’s not a question of prestige. It\’s a question of seeing what is the best way to respond to the situation,\” he said in the interview, which France 24 confirmed would be broadcast on Saturday.
Greece\’s government has launched austerity measures to save public revenue, but with a debt of 20 billion euros (27 billion U.S. dollars) at term between April and May, Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou has been anxious for support from peers.
Papandreou called for a united decision at Thursday\’s EU summit, saying solidarity in Europe was necessary for the debt-plagued country.
Government leaders and heads of states will get together to discuss this issue at the next summit in Brussels on March 25.
Related:
EU official calls for concrete deal on aid for Greece
BRUSSELS, March 19 (Xinhua) — The European Union (EU) top economic official called on Friday for a concrete deal at a summit next week on possible aid for Greece amid its debt crisis.
\”It is important that the EU in the course of next week comes to a more specific conclusion, specific political conclusion about the European framework for coordinated and conditional action, if needed and required,\” EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn told reporters. Full story
Greek labor union: Unions in Europe to take action if EU fails to help
ATHENS, March 18 (Xinhua) — Labor unions across Europe will take action as Greece is left alone in the economic crisis by other short-sighted European Union member states, Yannis Panagopoulos, president of umbrella labor union GSEE, told Xinhua in an interview.
LONDON, March 19 (Xinhua) — British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Friday that 2010 would be a make-or-break year to address the five global challenges.
The challenges were cementing the global recovery, halting climate change, fighting terrorism, reducing nuclear proliferation and turning the tide against poverty.
Brown told the foreign press association that 10 important global meetings to be held this year could shape what the world faces in the next decade and would be determining moments for the fortunes of millions and testing moments for the world\’s commitment and resolution to work together.
\”The truth we have learned in the last two years is that global problems cannot be answered by national or even regional solutions alone; global problems need global solutions: because we need more, not less, global cooperation,\” Brown said.
On the economic front, Brown said it was now the time to take the next steps, to complete the task of rebuilding the global economy and strengthening financial supervision in the coming months — at the G20 and G8 summits in Canada and in South Korea, and at the spring and annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.
He also called for a fresh collective commitment to fully implement the G20 framework for strong, balanced and sustainable growth, to coordinate more effectively the regulation of world financial systems, and to build a coordinated approach to levies on the banks to deliver a fairer balance between risk and reward.
On climate change, Brown said: \”We must implement the Copenhagen Accord. That means fast-start finance for developing countries for the 2010-12 period.\”
\”So I want to announce that, on March 31, we will hold in London the first meeting of the Climate Finance Group, the advisory group on climate financing established by the U.N. Secretary General.\”
\”We must also re-establish negotiations towards an internationally binding global agreement, using the important meetings in Germany and Mexico this year to accelerate this goal,\” Brown said.
He said Britain must drive towards creating a low-carbon economy and plans would be announced to promote investment in clean energy and in the thousands of new green jobs they would create.
On security, Brown said the challenges were changing, noting that \”today we face a new kind of terrorism, climate change and potential conflicts over resources, cyber crime, piracy and global increases in illegal migration.\”
Britain had continued to increase investment in strong borders and counter-terrorism at home — from 1 billion pounds (1.6 billion U.S. dollars) a year on domestic counter-terrorism in 2001 to more than 3 billion pounds (4.8 billion dollars) now.
Brown said, \”Our priority remains the Afghan-Pakistan border areas. We look forward to the Kabul Conference.\”
In addition, the prime minister said relevant countries would hold discussions in Washington next month and in New York the month after on nuclear security and proliferation, the fourth challenge.
MOSCOW, March 19 (Xinhua) — Russian President Dmitry Medvedev had not excluded the possibility of imposing reasonable sanctions on Iran, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday.
\”As President Medvedev said, sanctions seldom work but sometimes they are inevitable,\” Lavrov said at a news conference after talks between Medvedev and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
However, the president said that \”sanctions must be reasonable, unaggressive and not paralyzing and should have no negative impact on the Iranian people but should be imposed on those who make decisions on cooperating with the international community,\” Lavrov said.
Clinton hoped the sides would soon reach consensus on the Iranian nuclear issue.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin announced Thursday the first reactor of Iran\’s long-delayed Bushehr nuclear power plant would be launched in summer.
Iran\’s move to produce high-grade uranium with a purity of 20 percent stoked a wave of international criticism, with the United States leading the calls for harsher sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
The West accuses Iran of secretly developing nuclear weapons under the guise of a civilian program, but Iran insists its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes.
Russia, which has long been saying it prefers to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue through diplomatic means, is showing growing frustration with Iran\’s refusal to cooperate with the international community.
http://www.znnw.com
LONDON, March 19 (Xinhua) — British Airways (BA) cabin crew will start a three-day strike early Saturday after talks between the airline and the Unite union collapsed on Friday.
British Airways Chief Executive Willie Walsh (C) speaks to reporters after talks with the Unite union broke down at the trade union congress headquarters in central London March 19, 2010. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)
Local media reported the strike will start from midnight, with a second scheduled for March 27.
BA cabin crew are striking over changes to pay and staffing levels imposed by the airline last November. BA suffered heavy losses in recent years and is trying to cut its annual cost by 62.5 million pounds.
The airline\’s chief executive, Willie Walsh, said the strike was \”deeply regrettable\”. \”Tens of thousands of BA people stand ready to serve our passengers and BA will be flying and will continue to fly through these periods of industrial action,\” he said.
Tony Woodley, general secretary of Unite, the union representing BA\’s cabin crew, said: \”BA does not want to negotiate and ultimately wants to go to war with this union.\”
BA has announced contingency plans that will allow it to fly 65 percent of its customers during this weekend\’s strike. A total of 1,100 flights out of the 1,950 scheduled to operate during the first three strike dates will be cancelled.
But all long-haul flights and more than half of short-haul flights from London\’s Gatwick airport are expected to operate as normal. At Heathrow, more than 60 percent of long-haul flights will operate, though only 30 percent of short-haul flights are expected to operate with the help of aircraft leased from eight rival airlines.
http://www.nmgmzbwg.com.cn
VIENNA, March 24 (Xinhua) — European Union leaders were not able to reach a decision on concrete measures aimed at aiding Greece\’s financial difficulties, Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann said Wednesday.
The prime minister made the remarks after the day\’s EU summit.
Some Austrian politicians even criticized the EU inactivity.
Alexander van der Bellen, former chairman of Austria\’s Green Party, said the EU summit usually finds it hard to come to an agreement.
Wolfgang Schussel, former Austrian prime minister, said the EU summit is more like a \”commonplace.\”
Up until now Greece has not applied for concrete assistance from the union, only to leave bilateral assistance to the International Monetary Fund.
While addressing the EU summit, Austrian Prime Minister Faymann said that his government would focus more on achieving the five major objectives of the new EU prosperity strategy \”Europe 2020,\” on research and development, climate change and clean energy, education and poverty reduction.
Related:
Greece to seek but not beg for a European solution to debt crisis
ATHENS, March 23 (Xinhua) — Greece said Tuesday it would seek a European solution to its financial problems but will not appear as a beggar during the forthcoming EU summit on Thursday.
\”Greece will not appear at the Brussels meeting begging for support. We did not ask for financial aid from anybody,\” Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou told a forum in Athens. \”We do not wait for saviours. We can solve our problems on our own.\”?? Full story
Germany faces mounting pressure on Greek bailout
BRUSSELS, March 22 (Xinhua) — Germany faces mounting pressure from the European Union (EU) to agree on a bailout plan for debt-hit Greece at an EU summit later this week.
\”We need a decision at this summit so that we know how we are going to manage (the Greek debt crisis),\” European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso told German daily Handelsblatt.?? Full storoy
Greek Bank governor warns about economy shrinking further
ATHENS, March 22 (Xinhua) — The Greek economy will shrink by two percent this year, more than the earlier expectation of between 0.3 percent and 1.2 percent, Bank of Greece Governor Giannis Provopoulos warned here on Monday.
\”The Greek economy has fallen into a vicious circle. Unfortunately the developments of the past few months have verified the negative projections and damaged confidence to the future of our economy,\” Provopoulos said.? Full story
http://www.tbogg.com
ANKARA, March 19 (Xinhua) — A Polish aircraft on Friday violated Turkey\’s air space over the Aegean Sea, a Turkish military statement said.
Polish M-28 aircraft, which took off from Kos island of Greece, violated Turkish air space over the Aegean province of Aydin three times early on Friday, said the statement posted on the General Staff website.
The statement said the Polish aircraft had violated the Turkish air space for a total of 11 minutes.
http://www.pq365.com
Video: UK unveils pre-election budget
? Britain\’s Prime Minister Gordon Brown leaves after a Budget cabinet meeting at Downing Street in central London March 24, 2010. Britain\’s Labour government looks set on Wednesday to use its last budget before an election that is just weeks away to cut borrowing in an effort to calm investors and voters nervous about a record budget deficit. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
LONDON, March 24 (Xinhua) — British government departments announced, on Wednesday, a round of spending cuts totaling 11 billion pounds (about 16 billion U.S. dollars) as their first contribution towards cutting the record public sector borrowing requirement (PSBR).
The announcements came on Wednesday afternoon, after Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling revealed the figure as he unveiled his last budget before the coming election. The figure had first been announced in his Pre-Budget Report in early December, 2009.
Darling revealed that the PSBR would be 167 billion pounds ( about 249 billion U.S. dollars) this year, and vowed to halve that over four years. These cuts are the first step towards that, but far more savage cuts will be necessary from whichever government wins the general election, which is due before the first week in June and is likely to be on May 6.
The lion\’s share of the cuts will be made in the National Health Service, Britain\’s free hospital and healthcare system. The Department of Health said it would save 4.35 billion pounds (about 6.5 billion U.S. dollars), with savings being made in energy use, and 1.5 billion pounds (about 2.2 billion U.S. dollars) saved by driving down the cost of procurement. An additional 550 million pounds (about 819 million U.S. dollars) would be saved from better staff productivity, lower sickness rates and using fewer agency workers.
The Department of Children Schools and Families said it would make 1.1 billion pound (about 1.6 billion U.S. dollars) cuts, with 950 million pounds (about 1.4 billion U.S. dollars) from schools.
? Britain\’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling holds Gladstone\’s old Budget box for the cameras outside 11 Downing Street, before delivering the annual Budget to the House of Commons in central London March 24, 2010. Britain\’s Labour government looks set on Wednesday to use its last budget before an election that is just weeks away to cut borrowing in an effort to calm investors and voters nervous about a record budget deficit. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
The Ministry of Justice said it will save more than 340 million pounds (about 510 million U.S. dollars) by closing 19 court buildings in England.
Some savings across government departments will be achieved by closing or merging quasi-autonomous non-governmental organizations (quangos). The Ministry of Justice said it would merge the Meat Hygiene Service and the Food Standards Agency.
THE HAGUE, March 25 (Xinhua) — Dutch troops might be forced to stay in Afghanistan until 2011 due to a longer withdrawal procedure than planned, caretaker defence minister Eimert van Middelkoop told Dutch TV Wednesday.
The Netherlands\’ military mission comprising 1,800 soldiers and supporting staff in Uruzgan province is set to end by Aug. 1 2010.
\”The withdrawal is a difficult and complex operation,\” the minister said, adding that a lot of equipment would be transported back to the Netherlands by air or by land, while some soldiers would stay till next year.
Dutch F-16 fighters and Apache helicopters would also remain in Uruzgan at least until the end of 2010 to cover the withdrawal, he said.
According to the minister, the deadline for the full withdrawal depends on who will take over the Netherlands\’ role in Uruzgan.
The decision not to extend the Dutch mission in Afghanistan led to the fall of the Dutch government in February and a new round of elections will be held in June.
Related:
Australian forces in Afghanistan facing major challenge as Dutch withdraw
CANBERRA, March 18 (Xinhua) — Australian forces in Afghanistan are facing a major challenge in Afghanistan as Dutch forces withdraw, Australian Associated Press reports Thursday.
The Dutch withdraw will take with them their hospital and other key support elements.? Full story
Dutch troops to leave Afghanistan as scheduled: PM
BRUSSELS, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) — Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said Sunday the Dutch troops will leave Afghanistan as scheduled, local media reported.
On Saturday, the Dutch government coalition collapsed over a NATO request to extend the country\’s military mission to Afghanistan.? Full story
Dutch government falls over Afghanistan mission
BRUSSELS, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) — The Dutch government coalition collapsed early Saturday over a NATO request to extend the country’s military mission to Afghanistan, Radio Nethelands Worldwide reported.
In a statement announcing his cabinet’s fall，Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said he would visit Queen Beatrice later in the day to offer the resignation of the Labour Party members of his government.? Full story
http://www.gemuhope.com
BRUSSELS, March 19 (Xinhua) — President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso said on Friday that the Commission is ready to propose an instrument for coordinated assistance to Greece.
\”Such an instrument would be constituted by a system of coordinated bilateral loans and would be compatible with the no bail-out clause and with strict conditionality,\” Barroso said in a statement issued on Friday night.
But he said that creation of the instrument does not mean it would be activated immediately.
\”Our objective is an instrument designed within the euro area, with conditions and management established by the euro area and its institutions,\” Barroso said.
\”We cannot prolong any further the current situation,\” he said, \”I urge the EU\’s leaders to agree on this instrument as soon as possible.\”
http://www.minamik.com
PRAGUE, March 19 (Xinhua) — The Czech police must continue to investigate alleged bribe-taking that could have taken place during the talks about buying JAS-39 Gripen fighter planes for Czech Air Force, Supreme State Attorney\’s Office speaker announced on Friday.
Police has already twice stopped the investigation, as it had not found enough evidence to confirm the allegations of corruption voiced not only at home but also in the United States and Britain.
\”The previous investigation did not refute the suspicion that criminal conduct could have been involved,\” State Attorney speaker said. The decision to dismiss the case was unlawful and premature, she noted.
Czech Air force wanted to buy Sweden\’s Saab and Britain\’s BAE Systems in April 2002, but later it decided only to lease 14 of them. British BAE recently paid fines to settle the claims of bribery involving contracts not only with the Czech Republic, but also with Hungary.
http://www.cne.cc
MADRID, March 26 (Xinhua) — Two freight trains collided in the central Avilla province in Spain early Friday, killing a driver on one of the trains, the European News Agency reported.
The collision took place when a freight train struck another cargo train which was waiting for stop signal to enter Arevalo station in northern Avilla, said a spokesman of the rail infrastructure administration.
The driver was killed on the spot, he said.
The rail links between Madrid and Paris was temporarily disrupted due to the accident and the cause was under investigation.
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Related Clinton expects new START deal to be signed soon Russia says new START treaty almost complete UN chief optimistic about new START deal
MOSCOW, March 20 (Xinhua) — Russia and the United States probably will sign a long-awaited new strategic arms reduction treaty (START) in April, the Russian daily Kommersant reported Saturday.
The treaty will be signed in the Czech capital of Prague before Washington hosts the Nuclear Security Summit on April 12-13, a diplomatic source told the newspaper.
After Friday\’s talks between U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Yuri Ushakov, deputy head of the Russian government office, said the two sides would \”most probably\” sign the treaty in April in Europe.
Russia and the United States have been working on a new treaty since Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and U.S. President Barack Obama met last April in an effort to \”reset\” ties that had plunged to an unprecedented low during the final days of the Bush administration.
Despite rounds of negotiations, the two sides failed to reach a pact before the original 1991 START expired in December.
An outline of the new treaty, agreed to by both presidents, includes slashing nuclear warheads to between 1,500 and 1,675 and delivery vehicles to between 500 and 1,000.
The source said negotiators in Geneva are finalizing the document\’s wording, \”taking into account the nuances of Russian and English.\”
He also said the document acknowledges a linkage with planned U.S.missile defense elements in Europe.
Moscow has repeatedly demanded that a link between missile defense and offensive weapons cuts be included in the new START treaty.
Previous reports said Ukraine had suggested the signing to be held in Kiev, a proposal welcomed by Russia, but the source said the United States rejected that suggestion.
http://www.ceshq.com
LONDON, March. 20 (Xinhua) — British Airways (BA) cabin crew started strike on Saturday morning that will cause severe disruptions to flights for the next three days.
BA said that 65 percent of passengers would still be able to reach their destination during the first three-day strike, even though a total of 1,100 BA flights out of the 1,950 scheduled to operate would be canceled.
At Heathrow, more than 60 percent of long-haul flights will operate, thought only 30 percent of short-haul flights are expected to do so, with the help of aircraft leased from rival airlines, BA said.
At Gatwick, all long-haul flights and more than half of short-haul flights are expected to operate as normal, it said.
But uncertainty still exists about just how many BA crew will go on strike after BA said any staff who took part in strike action would lose perks, including heavily-discounted travel fares.
BA said that it is confident it can handle 49,000 passengers on each of Saturday and Sunday, compared with around 75,000 on a normal weekend day in March.
The talks between BA and the Unite Union, which represents the cabin crew, collapsed on Friday. A further four days of strike are set to begin on March 27. Cabin crew is striking over pay and working conditions.
http://www.cne.cc
by David Harris
JERUSALEM, March 31 (Xinhua) — While Britain has given Israel reassurance that the recent passport forgery scandal is a thing of the past, members of the House of Commons are insisting the British government look closely at arms sales to Israel.
Britain maintains relatively warm relations with the Jewish state, but a series of events in recent months suggests some English parliamentarians and grassroots activists are less than happy with the close ties with Israel.
London expelled an Israeli diplomat earlier this month after Britain accused Israeli spies of using fake British identification papers in order to carry out an assassination of a Palestinian Hamas commander in the United Arab Emirates.
A report published this week by the House of Commons Committees on Arms Export Controls took a hard look at Britain\’s weapons sales to Israel. The cross-party group believes it is \”almost certainly\” the case that British weaponry was used during Israel\’s military campaign in Gaza more than a year ago, which left over 1, 400 Palestinians dead.
While members of Parliament are slamming arms sale to Israel, analysts believe a complete embargo on Israel is not likely to be adopted by the British government.
\”POLICY IS TO ALLOW EXPORTS\”
The arms export controls committee\’s report was the latest in a series that question the nature of British arms sales to Israel. It reportedly heard that the government is looking at arms deals on a case-by-case basis with five licenses being halted in the wake of the Gaza war.
However, that is far from satisfactory for organizations such as the London-based Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT). The nonprofit organization submitted a deposition to the lawmakers before they compiled their latest document.
\”The British government has continued to license exports to Israel and is also supplying parts that are then incorporated into weapons and exported by United States suppliers,\” Sarah Waldron, the core campaign coordinator for CAAT, told Xinhua on Wednesday.
\”Britain cannot be sure that those parts are not going to be used in attacks on civilians or attacks on the occupied territories,\” she added.
The organization argued the fact that the British government is studying its licensing policy on \”a case by case basis\” means that the general policy is to sanction exports.
\”It has to be quite an extreme example before they refuse licenses,\” said Waldron.
Since the end of the Gaza fighting in January 2009, British government ministers have made several comments on the issue.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister Ivan Lewis wrote a memorandum to the Commons Committees on Arms Export Controls last July in which he said that 182 examples were looked into. Five of those were cause for concern.
They related to the exports of systems for the Sa\’ar 4.5 class missile boats of Israeli navy.
\”We had credible evidence from a number of sources that this vessel had been used to bombard coastal areas during the Operation, \” wrote Lewis.
ISTANBUL, March 20 (Xinhua) — Turkey announced Saturday to postpone the 29th Annual Conference on U.S.-Turkey Relations in response to the U.S. passage of a \”genocide\” resolution.
Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey said the conference, initially planned to be held in Washington on April 11-14, was postponed due to the approval of an Armenian resolution at the Foreign Relations Committee of U.S. Congress and the following developments.
The semi-official Anatolia news agency reported that the annual conference is organized by Turkish-American Business Council (TAIK) and American-Turkish Council (ATC) every year in April.
TAIK and ATC made the joint postponement decision. The two councils expressed sorrow over the postponement of the conference to a further date.
However, they said that they had full confidence in sound commercial and investment relations between Turkey and the United States.
On March 4, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Relations approved a resolution in support of the Armenian allegations regarding the incidents of 1915.
Turkey is facing hard times in its foreign policy about Armenian issue. In the United States and Sweden, two resolutions have called the killings in 1915 \”genocide.\”
Upon such development, Turkey temporarily recalled its ambassador in Washington Namik Tan to Ankara.
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