Moscow/Geneva, 27/04/2000 (Agence Europe) - Russia's Foreign Minister has reacted quickly to the adoption by the United Nations Commisson on Human Rights (which will be concluding its annual session on Friday in Geneva) of a resolution calling on Moscow to conduct an inquiry into allegations of human rights violations and atrocities in Chechenya. The resolution, tabled by the European Union and co-sponsored by other countries, including the United States and Canada, was passed in a vote of 25 to 7 (with Russia, China and Cuba casting dissenting votes), with 19 abstentions.
The minister notes in a press release that this resolution - dictated "solely by political motivations" and drafted "in the finest Cold War tradition"- will only complicate efforts to bring about a solution in Chechnya.