ReliefWeb

Andrzej Kasprczyk, who is the special representative of the OSCE chairman-in-office for the Karabakh conflict, has expressed concern that violations of the 1994 cease-fire between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces are becoming more frequent, according to the Azerbaijani newspaper "Zaman" on 18 February, as cited by Groong. Also on 18 February, an Azerbaijani serviceman taken prisoner by Karabakh Armenian forces was handed back to the Azerbaijani side, Turan reported. LF
AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT CRITICIZES ARMENIA, KARABAKH MEDIATORS

During his talks with Deputy Rogozin on 18 February, President Aliev implied that further progress toward a settlement of the Karabakh conflict is contingent on Armenia admitting that it is partly to blame for that conflict, Turan reported. As on numerous previous occasions, Aliev criticized the OSCE's Minsk Group, which for 11 years has tried to mediate a settlement of the conflict, for urging him to reach a compromise agreement with Armenian President Kocharian. He accused both the OSCE and the UN of being unwilling to assess the Karabakh conflict "objectively." LF