Moscow warns EU against "inappropriate" move on Chechnya at UN forum

Moscow, RAI Novostei, 13 March: Russia is open to cooperation with the international community on "the Chechen issue", Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Yuriy Fedotov said in an interview published on the ministry's web site today.

"We are open to cooperation with everyone who sincerely wishes to promote a solution to the humanitarian problems which exist in this region," he said.

He recalled that Russian and international human rights and humanitarian organizations are operating actively in the region, and that Chechnya and neighbouring republics are visited practically every day by various foreign delegations.

"We are not shutting ourselves off from anyone and we have no intention of doing so. But we will not allow anyone to speculate on the subject of human rights in Chechnya or to try to derive any kind of political or short-term dividends from this," he stressed.

He said that "Chechen problems" will probably be touched upon at the next session of the UN Human Rights Commission which opens in Geneva on 15 March. Fedotov recalled that the situation in the North Caucasus shows a steady tendency towards improvement, but Europe and the USA are finding it extremely difficult to renounce stereotypes connected with their perception of the situation in the Chechen Republic.

In 2003 there was a referendum on a constitution for Chechnya, presidential elections were held, and by the end of this year parliamentary elections will be held and a Chechen government will be formed.

"In these conditions, tabling a draft resolution on Chechnya is tantamount to sending Russia a signal that the political process in the North Caucasus is mistaken. I cannot even imagine a more inappropriate or untimely step on the part of the EU," he stressed.