Russia has sold more than USD 5 billion worth of military equipment to Azerbaijan, it was announced, but President Putin insisted that his country "will continue to provide every possible assistance to the peaceful settlement of [the Nagorno-Karabakh] conflict".

The incumbent Georgian head of state said that he will continue to be at the service of the Georgian people and will contribute to Georgia's national interest in other ways

"We will discuss important opportunities in terms of deepening regional cooperation as well as new initiatives that will help us to increase our trade", the prime minister said before departing for Azerbaijan to meet senior Azerbaijani leaders.

"Two officers were injured in the incident that took place in the village of Toturbiykala in the Khasavyurt district. Police officers noticed a suspicious man and tried to check his identity. After that, the gunman opened fire at the officers and fled", a police source said

The president told a meeting of his country's diplomats that Ukraine will not put up with Russian encroachment on Ukrainian interests in the Sea of Azov.

The acting spokesperson of the Armenian Foreign Ministry, Anna Naghdalyan said the official position of Armenia's foreign ministry is that if such issue is considered, Armenia will use its right to veto".

"We want to take relations with the EU to a new phase," Turkey's Finance Minister Berat Albayrak said at a press conference in Paris with his French counterpart, adding that Turkey wanted to increase trade with France, which is currently at 14 billion euros, to 20 billion euros.

The Kremlin has re-affirmed its support for its two protectorates, despite the lack of international recognition of their independence

In Baku, Chancellor Merkel once more spoke about the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict "Berlin could help mediate between Azerbaijan and neighboring Armenia to resolve a long-running territorial dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh", the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle reported

The Chancellor said she is glad to come to Armenia not only in the year of the 100th anniversary of the First Republic, but also in the period of democratic reforms.