Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 46,298 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $2.1 billion (1995)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1% (1995)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine destined for Western Europe ______________________________________________________________________
AZERBAIJAN
Introduction
Current issues: Azerbaijan continues to be plagued by an unresolved nine-year-old conflict with Armenian separatists over its Nagorno-Karabakh region. The Karabakh Armenians have declared independence and seized almost 20% of the country's territory, creating almost 1 million Azerbaijani refugees in the process. Both sides have generally observed a Russian-mediated cease-fire in place since May 1994, and support the OSCE-mediated peace process, now entering its fifth year. Nevertheless, Baku and Xankandi (Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh region) remain far apart on most substantive issues from the placement and composition of a peacekeeping force to the enclave's ultimate political status, and prospects for a negotiated settlement remain dim.
@Azerbaijan:Geography