RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 4, No. 211, Part I, 31 October 2000
RUSSIA, EU AGREE POLITICAL SOLUTION NEEDED ON CHECHEN
CONFLICT... In a joint declaration issued following the
Russia-EU summit in Paris on 30 October, Russian President
Putin and EU leaders noted that with regard to the conflict
in Chechnya, "we agreed on the necessity and urgency of
seeking a political solution with respect for the sovereignty
and territorial integrity of the Russian Federation." The
statement also condemned "terrorism in all its forms." Putin
later commented that Russia is ready to conduct a political
dialogue with "all forces in Chechnya" but not with "people
up to their elbows in blood." France, which holds the
rotating EU Presidency, has been sharply critical of Russia's
campaign in Chechnya--a stance that is perceived as having
led to a cooling of relations between the two countries. Both
Putin and French President Jacques Chirac have hailed Putin's
official visit to France, which concludes on 1 November, as
an opportunity to improve those ties. JC
Copyright (c) 2000. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free
Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
http://www.rferl.org
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