18:15 Jan.21, 2003

PACE delegation's head pleased with Duma negotiations
 
The PACE delegation head and a member of the British Parliament, Lord  Frank Judd has stated that his Tuesday meetings and negotiations in  the State Duma (the Parliament's lower chamber) "were very fruitful".  In the morning the PACE delegation met the State Duma Speaker,  Gennady Seleznyov, then had negotiations with representatives of the  Russian permanent PACE delegation headed by the Chairman of the Duma  international committee, Dmitry Rogozin.

Frank Judd stressed that the debates with Russian MPs had "proved to  be very useful". "We discussed the Russian Parliament's standpoint  regarding Chechnya's future with our Russian colleagues, as well as  initiatives taken for future adoption of the Chechen Constitution,"  he said.

Lord Judd believes before the adoption of the Chechen Constitution  this project should be openly discussed with the participation of the  mass media. "In this case it will be a strong Constitution,  reflecting the interests of Chechen citizens and they will support  it," he stressed.

//RIA-Novosti//

Webeditor's note: It is now many years that Lord Judd is "pleased" and continues to observe "improvements" in Chechnya. See also here and here.