DATE=4/6/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=RUSSIA / CHECHNYA (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-261027
BYLINE=EVE CONANT
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Russian lawmakers are speaking out as
Moscow mulls over an official response to a
decision by the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe to suspend Russia's voting
rights in the 41-member body. Moscow
correspondent Eve Conant reports the European
Union's High Commissioner for Common Foreign
Policy, Javier Solana, has arrived in Moscow for
talks on Friday with Russia's president-elect
Vladimir Putin and other officials.
TEXT: Russian lawmakers reacted violently to the
Council of Europe's decision, calling it a
"historic mistake."
The influential speaker of Russia's lower house
of parliament, Gennady Seleznyov, told reporters
Russia was fed up with Western interference into
its internal affairs. He said, "That's it, we can
do without our European teachers." He added, in
his words, "they have forgotten who they are
dealing with."
Russia joined the Council of Europe in 1996 in
what was viewed as a step toward Russia's
integration with Western democracies.
As Russia began to react to Thursday's vote, a
delegation from the European Union - including
foreign policy chief Javier Solana - arrived in
Moscow. Upon arrival, Mr. Solana was quoted as
saying Chechnya and developing relations with the
European Union were on the agenda for talks
scheduled with President-elect Vladimir Putin and
Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov on Friday.
///OPT/// It was not yet clear how Mr. Putin
would respond to the Council of Europe vote. ///
END OPT ///
Parliamentary lawmaker Alexei Mitrofanov, from
the bloc led by outspoken ultranationalist
Vladimir Zhirinovsky, also had harsh words in
retaliation for Council of Europe decision.
///Act Mitrofanov in Russian in full and fade
under///
He says, "If we don't deal with the Chechens we
will lose Russia. Does the Council of Europe want
that to happen?" he asks. "For us to lose control
of our regions?"
During a recent visit to Moscow and Chechnya,
United Nations Human Rights Chief Mary Robinson
called for Russia to set up an independent
investigation into what she called "serious and
documented" allegations of human rights
violations committed against Chechen civilians.
International human rights organizations -
including Amnesty International and Human Rights
Watch - accuse Russia's military of carrying out
wide-scale atrocities including rape, robbery,
torture, and summary executions.
Russia has denied the allegations of wide-scale
abuses, and says it is carrying out its own
investigations into alleged violations.
///OPT/// Moscow has repeatedly said the war in
Chechnya was nearing its end. But continuing
rebel ambushes have resulted in high casualties
for Russian troops. On Thursday, Russian
military officials admitted another attack on a
Russian convoy in federally occupied Chechnya,
but said federal casualties were much lower than
claimed by rebel fighters. ///END OPT/// (Signed)
NEB/EC/GE/gm
06-Apr-2000 14:41 PM EDT (06-Apr-2000 1841 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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