International Conference on Bringing Peace to Chechnya Taking Place in Moscow

An international conference 'In Support of Ending the War and Creating Peace in the Chechen Republic' is being held in Moscow. According to Rosbalt's correspondent, the event is being organised by a Russian committee of the same name.

The organisers have proposed that all sides openly and publicly discuss the situation in Chechnya and the reasons why various public and government attempts to find a peaceful solution and reduce the level of violence have failed. The organisers of the conference believe that a peaceful solution to the situation must include a process of political talks. The main participants in these talks need to be the Russian federal government and the legitimate authorities in the Chechen Republic represented by Aslan Maskhadov. The organising committee hopes that the conference 'will use all its authority to call on the warring sides to agree an immediate ceasefire and begin talks without any preliminary conditions being imposed.'

Various Russian public figures, including Duma deputies Segei Kovalev, Sergei Yushenkov amd Grigory Yavlinsky, are taking part in the conference along with representatives of human rights organisations.