By Gulnara Ismailova (3/12/2003 issue of the CACI Analyst)

With the backdrop of expanding U.S.-Azerbaijan contacts, Russian-Azerbaijani relations starting seeing some activity at the end of February.

By Aisha Aslanbekova (5/22/2002 issue of the CACI Analyst)

The state commission that had been investigating the Aksy events released its report on May 18. The report points out the main causes of the tragedy, on the basis of which the Commission makes nine suggestions including the suggestion to President Askar Akayev considering personal responsibility of several senior state officials for the events. According to the Commission\'s report, the cause of the tragedy, first of all, was the arrest of Deputy Azimbek Beknazarov and the neglect of the Jalalabad province\'s officials of the continuing request of the people, public organizations and some deputies to reconsider the charges against Beknazarov.

By Gulnara Ismailova (3/12/2003 issue of the CACI Analyst)

The world community is revitalizing efforts to settle the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict and to normalize relations between Yerevan and Baku on the one hand, and between Yerevan and Ankara on the other. Between 13 and 15 May, two meetings were held almost simultaneously in order to pursue these aims. Under the patronage of the cochairmen of the OSCE\'s Minsk group, the personal representatives of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia, deputy ministers of foreign affairs Araz Azimov and Tatul Markaryan, held a meeting.