WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE AREAS WHERE ARMENIAN AND AZERBAIJANI NATIONAL ARMIES FACE EACH OTHER
R. Orujev
Translated by A. Ignatkin

Source: Ekho (Baku), November 11, 2006, EV
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
November 17, 2006 Friday

Situation In The Areas Where The Armenian And Azerbaijani Armies Face
Each Other As Seen From Baku; A Look At The Azerbaijani-Armenian
Conflict From Baku.

The situation on the front line is somewhat unclear nowadays. The
OSCE Caucasus mission arranged a meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian
defense ministers not long ago. It was compelled to do so because of
the frequent violations of the cease-fire accord that caused numerous
casualties on both sides.

Reports on casualties did become less frequent after the meeting.

Does it indicate an improvement in the areas where the two armies
face each other? Opinions of official structures and independent
experts differ.

Ilgar Verdiyev of the Press Center of the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry
couldn’t say anything conclusive yesterday. "The Armenians must
observe the cease-fire regime," was all he said.

Yashar Jafarov, the head of the Union of Retired Officers, refuses to
call what is happening at the front line a lull. "It will pass. As
soon as negotiations are reactivated and the terms of the conflict
resolution are brought up, the situation will immediately deteriorate
and violations of the cease-fire regime will become more frequent
again," he said.

"I was surprised to hear the recent statement of Andrzei Kasprsic,
OSCE Chairman’s Personal Envoy, on a visit to Yerevan concerning
what he called a relative tranquility.," independent military expert
Uzeir Jafarov said. "It seems that few bother to watch our independent
TV-stations that always begin their daily news bulletins with reports
from their Karabakh correspondents on how the Armenians fire at us.

When the situation in the Fizuli district was monitored not long ago,
Kasprsic’s aides met with Muhtarov, the head of the executive power
structures there, and he informed them of daily violations of the
cease-fire regime on the Armenians’ part. As I see it, it’s just that
Azerbaijani Defense Ministry is simply happy that it does not have
to report casualties now. In the meantime, our people involved in
the sowing campaign in the border areas are not happy at all. They
are forced to work nights. I’m convinced therefore that whenever
official Baku or Yerevan find it convenient, they have their media
outlets reporting on skirmishes on the hour. When they do not need it,
on the other hand, they report no skirmishes. There must be some sort
of pact in action."