Russian and Chechen representatives discuss peaceful settlement of Chechen conflict

Akhmed Zakayev, special representative of Chechnya's President AslanMaskhadov, and Ivan Rybkin, former Secretary of the Russian SecurityCouncil, met in Zurich yesterday to discuss the plan of a peacefulsettlement of the Chechen problem. In an interview on the Echo of Moscowradio station Rybkin said that the meeting was tete-a-tete. However he didnot specify the details of the meeting. According to him, the concept of apeaceful settlement in Chechnya should be reported to President Putin andAslan Maskhadov. At the same time Akhmed Zakayev stressed that the conflictin Chechnya was of political character only and it could not be settled bythe use of force. .