2003-09-05 13:49    

Council of Europe to sending observers to election in Chechnya

MOSCOW, September 5, 2003. /RIA Novosti/. The Council of Europe is goining to send its observers to the presidential elections in Chechnya, Secretary-General of the Council of Europe Walter Schwimmer told the "Ekho Moskvy" radio on Friday.

"This issue will be settled within the next few days by the Parliamentary Assembly and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe", he said.

"The Chechen settlement is both of Russian and European concern", Schwimmer added. "If we talk about united Europe, then there must be the same principles of human rights observation".

In his opinion, the presidential elections in Chechnya will chelp to stabilise the situation in the Republic.