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OSCE Chairman-in-Office issues statement on Chechnya
BERN 22 August 1996
BERN, 22 August 1996 - The Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE, Swiss Foreign Minister Flavio Cotti, issued the following statement today:
The OSCE welcomes the recent statements by President Yeltsin, Prime Minister Chernomyrdin and Alexander Lebed, Secretary of the National Security Council, that Russia remains determined to seek a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Chechnya. These statements have reconfirmed the pursuit of a settlement based on the agreements of Moscow and Nazran of May 27 and June 10, 1996.
The developments in the last two days have given rise to very serious concerns in view of the danger of a major military confrontation in Grozny which would cause significant loss of life and suffering, in particular among the civilian population.
The CIO urges those involved in the conflict not to resort to violence, to observe the cease fire and to continue the endeavours for a peaceful settlement of the conflict. The OSCE and its Assistant Group to Chechnya continues to offer its good officers in this respect.
The OSCE welcomes the recent statements by President Yeltsin, Prime Minister Chernomyrdin and Alexander Lebed, Secretary of the National Security Council, that Russia remains determined to seek a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Chechnya. These statements have reconfirmed the pursuit of a settlement based on the agreements of Moscow and Nazran of May 27 and June 10, 1996.
The developments in the last two days have given rise to very serious concerns in view of the danger of a major military confrontation in Grozny which would cause significant loss of life and suffering, in particular among the civilian population.
The CIO urges those involved in the conflict not to resort to violence, to observe the cease fire and to continue the endeavours for a peaceful settlement of the conflict. The OSCE and its Assistant Group to Chechnya continues to offer its good officers in this respect.