OSCE Assistance Group to Chechnya to close - Russian Foreign Ministry

MOSCOW. Dec 31 (Interfax) -

The mandate of the OSCE Assistance Group to Chechnya, which expires on December 31, will not be extended, which means that the group will stop working there, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said.

"Given the fact that the Group's mandate was valid until December 31 of this year, we provided the OSCE with our proposals regarding the prospects for continuing the Group's work in 2003 ahead of time, almost two months ago," Ivanov told reporters on Tuesday.

In those proposals, Russia suggested that the group begin to deal with coordinating work aimed at supplying and distributing humanitarian aid to people, helping them return home and providing accommodation to temporarily displaced individuals.

"Unfortunately, not all of our partners were ready to properly assess the situation and fully realize the new realities in Chechnya. The result was that we have not been able to reach an agreement on the new mandate for the OSCE Assistance Group before December 31.

Consequently, the group ceases to exist as of January 1, 2003," Ivanov said.