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Armenia begins unprecedented corruption investigations
The Armenian government, headed by Nikol Pashinyan, has begun a large-scale fight against corruption and the country’s shadow economy. The highest profile investigation is the Manvel Grigoryan case, DW reports.
On June 19, the Armenian parliament removed the parliamentary immunity of Lieutenant-General Manvel Grigoryan, head of the former ruling Republican Party. The prosecutor general’s office was given the go-ahead to file a criminal case against him and to arrest him as a means of restraint. …
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Turkey will receive F-35 fighters despite objections of US Congress
According to sources in the Pentagon and Lockheed Martin, Turkey will receive its first F-35 Joint Strike fighter this week, despite objections from Congress.
Lockheed Martin, which manufactures the F-35 fighters, will hold a ceremony in Fort Worth, Texas in honor of the new fighters destined for Turkey, a company spokesman said.
The National Defense Authorization Act, passed by both chambers of Congress, contains restrictions on Turkey’s participation in the F-35 program.
U.S. lawmakers …
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Ukraine to discuss Russia’s actions in the Azov and Black Seas with the EU
During the Ukraine-EU Summit on July 9, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko plans to discuss Russia’s military presence in the Black and Azov Seas with EU leaders, which is a cause of concern for Ukraine.
“We look forward to a firm position of the EU regarding new Russian challenges for security in the Black and Azov Seas,” Poroshenko wrote on Facebook page. “We will discuss this issue with the EU leaders at the summit on July 9.”
On Monday, the Secretary of the National Security and …
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Putin and Lukashenko sign a statement on the expansion of strategic partnership between Russia and Belarus
Following a Higher State Council meeting of the Union State, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed a joint statement, the Kremlin’s press-service reports.
“Following the meeting of the Higher State Council of the Union State, leaders of both countries adopted a joint statement in which they confirmed their common desire to strengthen and expand the strategic partnership between Russia and Belarus,” the statement reads.
As part of this …
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The United States will decrease its military aid to Ukraine
Section 1233 of the bill for the US defense budget for 2019 as approved by the Senate proposes the allocation of $200 million to cover “the continuation of initiatives to support Ukraine in the sphere of security," Ukrinform reports.
The bill does acknowledge the need "to maintain strong support of Ukraine in the sphere of security, including the provision of lethal assistance of defensive nature, and at the same time to facilitate the necessary institutional reforms in the field of defense." …