AZERBAIJAN RELEASES RUSSIAN TRANSPORT PLANE AND CREW, KEEPS MIG JETS.

President Haidar Aliev has decided to release the giant Russian-owned AN-124 transport plane and the thirty-four, mostly Russian, military personnel detained with the plane since March 19 in Baku on prima facie suspicion of arms contraband (see the Monitor, March 24-25). Aliev said that his gesture was a favor to Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, who was paying a prescheduled visit to Baku and interceded with the Azerbaijani president for the release of the plane and its passengers. Luzhkov broke the news last night and the Russian embassy in Baku added details today. Azerbaijan continues the criminal investigation and retains, for the time being, the six MiG-21 aircraft which were being smuggled to an as-yet-undetermined destination aboard the transport plane (Itar-Tass, March 30).

The Monitor is a publication of the Jamestown Foundation. It is researched and written under the direction of senior analysts Jonas Bernstein, Vladimir Socor, Stephen Foye, and analysts Ilya Malyakin, Oleg Varfolomeyev and Ilias Bogatyrev. If you have any questions regarding the content of the Monitor, please contact the foundation. If you would like information on subscribing to the Monitor, or have any comments, suggestions or questions, please contact us by e-mail at pubs@jamestown.org, by fax at 301-562-8021, or by postal mail at The Jamestown Foundation, 4516 43rd Street NW, Washington DC 20016. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution of the Monitor is strictly prohibited by law. Copyright (c) 1983-2002 The Jamestown Foundation Site Maintenance by Johnny Flash Productions