CHECHNYA LINKS LIBRARY

The Week in Brief - Nov 20 - 26, 2000

British Premier Tony Blair flew into Moscow for his fifth summit this year with President Putin.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said a total of 1,670 Defence Ministry servicemen have died in the course of the operation in the North Caucasus. Speaking at a meeting of the Russian military department’s leadership, he estimated the losses of all Russian power structures in the conflict at 2,600.

A delegation of the EU Parliamentary Assembly arrived in Russia to familiarize themselves with conditions of Chechen refugees.

Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov again voiced his readiness to start talks with Moscow on ending the war in Chechnya without setting any preconditions. - Moskovskiye Novosti

The IMF delegation left Moscow without agreement on a stand–by credit.

Adam Tepsurgayev, a Chechen free-lance cameraman who worked also for Reuters, was killed in the village of Alkhan-Kala (Yermolovka) near Grozny. Several months ago he provided video footage of a Chechen rebel commander, Shamil Basayev, having a leg amputated.

A parliamentary group responsible for relations with Chechnya was created in the Lithuanian parliament Seijm.

European Commission allotted 5.6 million US dollars for the victims of the conflict in Chechnya. Allotted assets will be mainly used for urgent food aid to refugees and people who need it in Chechnya. Information campaign about dangers connected with mined territories will be held as well.

The Representative of the Russian President in the Southern federal region Viktor Kazantsev said that his people were holding talks with some of the Chechen field commanders. Defence Minister Igor Sergeyev denied statements about any such negotiations.

Officials of republics which have a common administrative border with Chechnya met with Russian officials in Mineralniye Vody to discuss behind closed doors “the operation to cut off supplies of weapons and ways for new rebels to sneak into Chechnya.” – RBC

After their fact-finding mission to refugee camps in Chechnya the delegation of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly's Committee on Refugees and Demography described the situation as appalling and unacceptable.

Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said that Russia was ready to cooperate with the European Union’s new military force.

No major events.

Compiled by Prague Watchdog