| Jul 19 2004 3:26PM Chechen children denied Spanish visas MOSCOW. July 19 (Interfax) - The consular service of the Spanish embassy in Moscow has denied entry visas to a children's dance company from Chechnya due to violations in the procedure for applying for Schengen visas, Spanish embassy spokesman Ignacio Moreno told Interfax on Monday. "I learned from our Consulate General that the dance company Nokhch from Grozny has been denied entry visas because the group violated the procedure for applying for Schengen visas," Moreno said. Earlier reports said that Nokhch had planned to take part in an international children's folk dance festival in Spain. The children have now returned to Chechnya from Moscow for one more round of rehearsals before they set out on a guest tour to Hungary. General Consul of the Hungarian embassy in Moscow Endre Sabo told Interfax that no one has applied for visas so far. "I don't know when these children are planning to go to Hungary and where exactly they are going. No one has applied to us for visas," Sabo said. Earlier in July, the Estonian authorities denied entry visas to eight Chechen teenagers planning to study English in a summer camp in Estonia financed by George Soros. Estonian diplomats told their Russian colleagues that the children had been denied visas because their applications did not meet Estonia's visa requirements. They said that the decision was not politically motivated. 19.7.2004 Chechen performers denied trip to Spain INGUSHETIA, Nazran. (Russian-Chechen Friendship Society Information Centre). Chechen Song and Dance State Ensemble Nochkho has been unable take part in International Festival of Folk Arts taking place in Spain. The reason is refusal by the Spanish Embassy to issue entry visas to Chechens. The Ensemble’s manager Salambek Abuev said in telephone conversation that "Nochkho had an official invitation from the Folk Festival’s organisers. The coordinating committee first invited 35 people but in order to avoid disruption to the programme, presence of 42 people was required, and we agreed about everything in the end. However, the Spanish Consulate in Moscow refused to issue us visas without explaining the reasons. After 4 days spent in the capital we had to return to Chechnya." The Chechen Ensemble’s participation in the International Festival in Spain was suggested by Moscow Folk Arts Centre. Head of the Centre’s International Relations Department Valeriy Ghershevich Khazanov confirmed that workers in his department did everything to make Nochkho’s trip possible. But even asking Russian Foreign Ministry’s assistance did not help. The young performers of Nochkho Ensemble formed in 1995, have already gained international recognition. Members of the Ensemble have successfully performed at festivals in Russia, Bulgaria and Turkey. In August they are planning a trip to International Folk Festival in Hungary. Translated by Olga Sharp PRIMA-News Agency [2004-07-16-Rus-29] |