GENERAL OVERVIEW

Nazim MUZAFFARLI

---

Nazim Muzaffarli, D.Sc. (Econ.), professor, Editor-in-Chief of The Caucasus & Globalization journal (Baku, Azerbaijan)

---

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was still the key issue determining the developments in all spheres of life: domestic and foreign policy, the economic development, and religion. The rivalry on the domestic political scene, as well as moral-religious issues, unfolded in the shadow of the settlement process, while the public inevitably remained riveted to the problem. The Armenian armed detachments, which regularly violated the cease-fire conditions, sent the tension up. In 2006 alone, Azerbaijanian settlements and the positions of the Azerbaijanian armed forces were the targets of Armenian shelling 220 times. In the second half of the year, the Armenians switched to “scorched land” tactics: the occupied Azeri villages that bordered on Nagorno-Karabakh went up in flames. In September, the U.N. General Assembly passed a resolution On the Situation in the Occupied Territories of Azerbaijan, which expressed concern over the environmental impact of the fires.

The hopes pinned on the peace talks fell through. Azerbaijan insisted on a stage-by-stage settlement: first the occupied territories should be evacuated, and then the forced migrants should be returned with their safety guaranteed, and the status of Nagorno-Karabakh determined. It was expected that in February, when the heads of Armenia and Azerbaijan met in Rambouillet (France), the process would be set in motion. This did not happen—the Armenian president unexpectedly up and left the summit before a final decision was……………

---

Please fill in the subscription form to obtain the full text.