As a result of a visit to Chechnya, the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions
and Human Rights /DIHR/ and the Council of Europe's joint group of experts verified
the improvement of the situation in Chechnya. This was disclosed on Tuesday by
the Russian Foreign Ministry.
The experts "acknowledged the importance on the Constitutional Referendum in Chechnya
on March 23rd for further stabilisation and normalisation of the peaceful life
in Chechnya," the Russian Foreign Ministry reported. The European experts advised
to consider the possibility of sending to Chechnya the OSCE's DIHR and Council
of Europe representatives for the period of the March referendum.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, "the visit of experts is another prove
of Russia's openness in the constructive co-operation with international organisations
on the Chechen issue." "The support of the forthcoming referendum by international
institutions is of high importance both in the legal and in the political context,"
the
Russian Foreign Ministry underlined. "This support will help enhance the rule
of law in Chechnya, full-scale acceptance of the Republic to Russia's field of
law and restoration of peaceful life standards," the Russian Foreign Ministry
disclosed.
The OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and the Council
of Europe joint group of experts was on a visit in Moscow and Chechnya from February
26th till March 4th. The task of the group was to estimate the development of
the preparations for the Constitutional referendum in the Republic of Chechnya.