Armenian-proposed frontline meetings no security threat – Azeri expert

Ekho, Baku
30 Jul 04

Text of R. Orucov’s report by Azerbaijani newspaper Ekho on 30 July
headlined “Personal contacts on the frontline” and subheaded “The
Armenian military offers its Azerbaijani counterparts to meet under
the aegis of the OSCE”

In conformity with the mandate of the personal representative of the
OSCE chairman-in-office, the OSCE conducted routine monitoring of the
contact line between the Armenian and Azerbaijani armed forces this
week in the vicinity of the villages of Berkaber in Armenia’s Tavush
Region and Mizamlu in Azerbaijan’s Qazax District.

According to the Regnum news agency, visual contact was established
during the monitoring mission between the OSCE representatives and
representatives of the Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs of
Armenia and Azerbaijan who accompanied them. The news is that the
“Armenian side again suggested changing from radio contacts to
meetings in person under the aegis of the OSCE. [OSCE
chairman-in-office’s personal] Envoy Andrzej Kasprzyk welcomed this
suggestion and expressed his hope that in the foreseeable future, the
OSCE will apply for permission to hold such a meeting.”

The greatest interest is caused by the question of why personal
meetings between the two hostile sides are needed. What does it mean
that precisely the Armenian side came up with this initiative? Could
this practice really serve the purpose of maintaining the cease-fire?
The fact that the third monitoring mission has been carried out in
this sector of the border is caused by the aggravation of the
situation here, Regnum was told at the Armenian Defence Ministry.

Yesterday it emerged that the Defence Ministry of the Republic of
Azerbaijan was unaware of this offer. The head of the Defence
Ministry’s press service, Ramiz Malikov, said in a conversation with
Ekho that he knew nothing about this and that “we should not ask for
things like this”.

Independent military expert Uzeyir Cafarov gave a positive assessment
to the prospect for contacts between the military in the frontline
area. “Any contact between the opposite sides which serves the purpose
of saving the lives of the military personnel should be
welcomed. Human lives should be saved. Agreeing to contacts with
Armenian officers out of any other considerations is inadmissible.”

The belligerents have been more or less observing the cease-fire for
10 years now, the expert noted. “But we have witnessed almost daily
shooting from the Armenian side along the frontline of late. This is
why personal contacts between the sides would not be bad for the
general atmosphere,” Cafarov said. He also said that a monitoring
mission by the OSCE representatives is one thing, and when officers
discuss the important issues in which they are interested without
mediators is another thing. “I think that the latter will be more
useful,” he added.

Cafarov reminded us that this system was practised in previous
years. “That is to say, during the OSCE monitoring missions, not only
did the sides see each other, they also communicated. Naturally, they
were standing, not sitting at a table. Officers discussed different
issues and expressed their displeasure or wishes.” The sides were
trying to use such contacts to the maximum benefit of their troops.

The expert noted that such meetings would pose no security
threats. “The point is that both our and Armenian side are very well
aware who is on the opposite side in every particular section of the
frontline – they possess almost 100-per-cent accurate information
about the commanders and types and numbers of weapons on the opposite
side.”