STEPASHIN: AZERBAIJAN A CHANNEL FOR ARMS TO CHECHNYA.

On a visit to Baku to sign an agreement on fighting crime, Russian Federal Security Service director Sergei Stepashin said that Azerbaijan is an important path for arms going to the Chechen rebels, Turan news agency reported June 2. Stepashin added that Azerbaijan was not the source of these arms. In other comments, the Russian security chief complained that Baku should have signed the new agreement two years ago and that the Azerbaijani authorities should agree to allow Russian border guards to work alongside Azerbaijani ones.

Kazakh Army Proud of Cutting Death Rate Among Servicemen.