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In response to Moscow's criticism, Tbilisi says Georgia can carry out exercises with any partner on its sovereign territory
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia issued a statement in response to the Russian Foreign Ministry’s comments on the joint Georgian-American exercise “Noble Partner 2016.” Moscow stated that Washington “appeases revanchist ambitions of Tbilisi.” The Georgian Foreign Ministry replied that Georgia is a sovereign and independent state and has a right to carry out training on its territory together with any partner.
“It is worth noting that the exercises are not aimed at any country. Such …
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EU condemns Belarus after prisoner execution
The European Union has condemned Belarus after receiving news that the former Soviet republic executed another prisoner, Radio Free Europe reported.
Belarus is the only country in Europe that still practices capital punishment.
In a statement issued on May 7th, the EU stated that the execution of Syarhey Iwanow was "particularly disturbing" because his complaint was pending with the UN Human Rights Committee.
“Despite the many calls made by the European Union, another execution has been …
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Senators fear that Arab states will purchase fighters from Russia instead of the US
US Senators called on President Barack Obama to push through a contract for the sale of fighter jets valued at $9 billion to Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. Otherwise, they say, the Arab states may instead purchase aircraft from Russia.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the authors of the letter are Republicans John McCain and Bob Corker, and Democrats Jack Reed and Claire McCaskill. According to them, the decision on the sale of sixty F-16s, F-15s and F-18s has been delayed for too long. …
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Canada to lift sanctions on Belarus
Canada plans to lift sanctions against Belarus which have been in place since 2006, Rosbalt reported. A similar action was taken by the US and the EU in October of 2015.
According the official website of the Canadian Government, Ottawa has recently seen “positive developments” in Belarus.
“This announcement… reflects Canada’s acknowledgment that the Government of Belarus has made progress in key areas in recent months, including the release of political prisoners and conducting a …
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Marie Yovanovitch to become next US Ambassador to Ukraine
The new US Ambassador to Ukraine will be Marie Yovanovitch, who previously served as Ambassador in Armenia and Kyrgyzstan, and in the beginning of the 2000s was Deputy Chief of Mission the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine.
The “Day” newspaper reported this, citing a source in the State Department.
Since 2012, Yovanovitch has served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs.
Yovanovitch was born in Canada into a family of immigrants from Russia. As a child, …