POLIT.RU - News line - 24/12/2000

15:38 - Boris Nemtsov who headed yesterday the so called delegation of the Duma deputies at the meeting with certain "Chechen parliamentaries elected in 1997" has said to the "Interfax" that the negotiations resulted in "signing a very important protocol consisting of five points". Nemtsov thinks that the realization of this protocol could give a start to the process of political stabilization in Chechnya. It is noted in the protocol that "there doesn't exist a military solution of the Chechen problem and it is necessary to begin the process of political stabilization and the negotiations". The objective of the negotiations is "to establish peace in Chechnya and create conditions for the return of the refugees", - said Nemtsov. He said also that both Russian and Chechen parliamentaries insist on the "necessity of the eradication of the terrorism and religious extremism, and the reestablishment of order and rule of law on the territory of the Chechen Republic". In accordance with the document, "from the Chech

en part, representatives of the president and parliament of Chechnya must take part in the negotiations". From the Nemtsov's interview to the "Interfax" it is absolutely unclear: 1) what is the status of the delegation which he headed and what are its powers, 2) who are the people Nemtsov met with, and whom do they represent, 3) what is the technical part of the negotiations Nemtsov intends to carry out with Maskhadov (Nemtsov seems to call him president).

16:26 - Nemtsov has explained to the NTV what negotiations with the Chechen representatives he told about to the "Interfax" (http://www.polit.ru/documents/388495.html). Though the details of who and how organized these negotiations still remain unknown, Nemtsov said: "From our part Pavel Krasheninnikov, Sergey Kovalyov, Oleg Morozov, the deputy to the State Duma from the Chechen Republic Aslanbek Aslakhanov and myself took part in the negotiations, and from the Chechen part - seven deputies to the parliament of 1997". According to the leader of the Union of the Right Forces, it is the question of "purely preliminary talks, but these are the first negotiations of this kind since the beginning of the war". "The negotiations are necessary because though there are bandits in Chechnya, it is a 80% partizan war, and if representatives of Maskhadov order to stop the war, it will be over", - said Nemtsov. At the official level it was said that the deputies had gone to Chechnya to visit camps of the Chechen refugees

and to bring there the humanitarian aid. "The negotiations took place in Nazran after our delegation returned from these camps, - said Boris Nemtsov in his interview to the NTV, - next Tuesday I'll inform the president about the negotiations and I suppose, all further discussions will be realized by the executive power".