Russia Faces G8 Criticism On Chechnya
Farhan Siddiqui
BERLIN, Dec 17, 1999 -- (Reuters) The chairman of the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) called on Friday for an
immediate cease-fire in Grozny, capital of the Russian territory of
Chechnya, to prevent a "bloodbath".
Knut Vollebaek, also the Norwegian foreign minister, was briefing
foreign ministers of the Group of Eight (G8) big powers, including
Russia, on his three-day visit to Chechnya which ended on Thursday.
Russia was expected to face criticism from the West at the meeting over
the conduct of its war against rebels in separatist Chechnya,
particularly over civilian casualties and the treatment of refugees.
"We urgently need a cease-fire, otherwise there will be a bloodbath ...
because there will be major fighting. Grozny will not fall easily,"
Vollebaek told a news conference.
He said Russian Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu had told him there
were 45,000 civilians still in Grozny.
The West has been urging Moscow to hold talks with Chechen
representatives. But Shoigu on Thursday withdrew an offer to hold
talks, at least on humanitarian issues, with Chechen President Aslan
Maskhadov.
CONTACTS WITH CHECHENS
The source said Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov had told the
meeting he was "aware of lower-level contacts involving those
immediately around Maskhadov" but did not envisage Moscow talking to
Chechen commanders Shamil Basayev and Khattab.
The Berlin G8 meeting, originally called to discuss conflict
prevention, was the first chance for Western ministers to express in
person their collective fear for Chechen civilians since last month's
OSCE summit in Istanbul.
Ivanov told a German newspaper in an interview that the West should
not "interfere in internal affairs" and that what Moscow calls an "anti-
terrorist" operation could have been completed sooner if Moscow had
paid less regard to civilians.
He denied there had been massive civilian casualties, or the heavy
Russian losses witnessed on Wednesday by reporters in the Chechen
capital Grozny. "There has been no attempt to storm Grozny, nor will
there be one," he told the daily Frankfurter Allgemeine.
A Reuters correspondent reported from Grozny that warplanes had resumed
intense bombardment of the city in the past 24 hours, having previously
eased off to give civilians a better chance of leaving.
British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook had told reporters on Thursday
that G8 members would step up their criticism:
"The Russians should wind down and cease their military offensive
against civilian targets, they must provide open access to reach those
who are suffering and they must engage in a political dialogue leading
to a political settlement."
MEDIATING ROLE
Both the West and Chechnya want the OSCE to play a mediating role and
Vollebaek called for an international conference grouping the regional
conflicts in the northern Caucasus.
But after hearing Ivanov at the meeting, he told reporters: "There is
no willingness, as I see it, for the Russian side to include the
international community in this process."
Despite the West's concerns, there appeared to be little prospect that
Russia's fellow members of the G8 would threaten concrete sanctions,
though some German diplomats said Russia should be told its membership
of such forums could be in danger.
Russia was included two years ago, not least thanks to German backing,
in the big-power club that was then the Group of Seven - the United
States, Japan, Germany, Italy, France, Britain and Canada.
Ivanov insisted in the interview that Moscow still had an effective
working relationship with the West. He singled out Germany and
the "active dialogue" with Washington "which is not broken off even in
very dramatic times".
He held separate talks with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's
foreign policy adviser Michael Steiner, and was joined briefly by
Schroeder himself.
U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright flew into Germany early on
Friday morning. After the morning's talks, she was also due to hold a
separate meeting with Ivanov.
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