22:33, 27 November 2006

PACE sets conditions for holding a roundtable in Chechnya

The delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has declared that it will support the roundtable to be held in Grozny on situation in Chechnya provided the event is attended by the advocates of Chechnya remaining under jurisdiction of Russia. However, the right for a dissenting opinion of "representatives of the forces who criticise the powers and reside in Moscow, Berlin or Grozny" will be recognized.

Andreas Gross, head of the PACE delegation, stated at the meeting with Ramzan Kadyrov, chairman of the government, in Gudermes on Sunday, November 26, that "the idea to hold a roundtable in Grozny is a common sense manifestation, but these conditions should be observed."

Konstantin Kosachov, chairman of the State Duma committee for international affairs, who also came to Chechnya, hopes that the work of the delegation in the Republic will convince the MPs of the necessity to hold the roundtable in Grozny, the RIA "Novosti" reports.