| 05.14.2004 Friday
EU
Playing Political Games in Chechnya Bart Staes, President of the Cooperation Committee for the European Parliament (EP), the European Union (EU) and Russia, has urged Russia to sit down for talks with Chechen fighters. Staes, a member of the EP's Belgian Green party, said that he was allowed to visit Chechnya only once as Committee President and criticized EU leaders severely due to their indifference. After Chechnyan President Ahmet Kadirov, was killed last week, Staes told Zaman that the assassination proves stability has not yet been reached in Chechnya. He said 'it was very sad that Kadirov was killed, but the assassination once more showed us that 10 or 15 Russian soldiers and four or five freedom fighters are killed everyday in Chechnya.' Staes called the Chechnya incident a 'forgotten war.' Closely following the developments in Chechnya, Staes said he has been following the developments in Chechnya closely and stressed that the peace plan can only be realized if all the sides sit for talks. He said: "Putin should now understand that this problem cannot be solved without all sides coming together. Chechnya's latest President Mashadov should have had a seat at the table. Kadirov was not selected legally, the election was rigged." Staes criticized EU leaders, describing their indifference to incidents in Chechnya as 'a big shame for the EU' and Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi. Staes said the European Parliament and the Commission has done everything they can for Chechnya. He talked about the E.U. Council where decisions are made and leaders gather, saying 'we have serious problems there. Decisions are made at the Council concerning Chechens but joking around and stupid power games are played.' Staes said it was a big shame for Berlusconi since he was guarantor for Putin when he was EU term president and noted that Brussels has failed in this task.
05.14.2004
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