14.04.2005
Changing priorities
The EU delegation headed by European Commission Director for Eastern Europe Hugus Mingarelli visited the Chechen capital yesterday. According to the Russian daily Kommersant, pro-Moscow Chechen “authorities” made it clear to the guests they were expected to do more than just offer humanitarian aid. Europeans promised to direct money to restore the republic’s social sphere.
«The main goal of our mission at the North Caucasus is to consider the possibility of transition from providing humanitarian aid to assistance in economic restoration of Ingushetia," Mingarelli said. He added that the EU would continue to offer humanitarian aid, although, they «would like to help the process of economic restoration of North Caucasus outside the limits of the aid."
At the same time Mingarelli refused to name the concrete volume of money, which the EU is willing to share with the republic. «It is still too early to name any concrete figures, right now we are talking about preliminary research and analysis of the situation, and only after that it will be decided which is the most demanding field for this kind of aid," he said. Mingarelli especially emphasized that the EU would direct its assistance in the priority area, determined by the republic’s authority — healthcare and education.
Indeed, priorities of Chechnya’s “authorities” are well known: money, money, money and no control. No one thinks about people. Neither at the federal level, no the Kremlin’s local puppets. European officials would have better heeded to human rights campaigners and assisted Russia, or better urged Russia to search a peace solution to the bloody conflict in Chechnya as soon as possible. Genocide demands an immediate reaction from the side of international community. Otherwise, it can happen that no one will need healthcare and education, except for the ministry of statistics. It will have to give an account for the money…
We shall remind that last time a foreign delegation of such high level visited Chechnya was in January 2004. At that time UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland visited Grozny. The result of that visit was the decision to move the office of the UN mission helping Chechnya from Ingushetia to Grozny on March 1, 2004. By that time Chechen puppet authorities reported that all refugees from neighboring Ingushetia had been voluntarily displaced into the republic. However, Kommersant writes today, representatives of the refugees, as well as workers of international humanitarian missions stated that residents of tent camps were simply forced to move, by having cut off their channels to humanitarian aid.
Also Kommersant reminds that a scandal preceded the move of the UN mission to Grozny. Head of Ingushetia Migration Service Nikolay Pomeshenko accused missions of certain foreign humanitarian organizations in activities directed against stabilization of situation in Chechnya and Ingushetia
The special representative on human rights control in Chechnya, a “great expert” in this field Abdul-Khakim Sultygov echoed that criticism suggesting «a need for thorough examination of sources of financing for private human rights organization, including those acting under the protection of international status, as well as their conformity to their stated rules, and goals." As result a dozen and a half of 30 international missions were refused the right to any activity on the republic’s territory. Thereby Chechen “authorities” let foreign organizations know that Chechnya was in no need of humanitarian sops, but rather needed serious investments into the development of the social sphere of the region. And many Chechen refugees had to return to unsafe Chechnya. Where else could they go?…
«This initiative deserves to be approved," Chechnya “president” Alkhanov said yesterday, emphasizing that he intended to discuss a number of commercial projects with the EU Commission. He told the delegation members that what was needed first of all was to construct new healthcare, education and sport institutions. To support his point, the European guests were taken on a little excursion around ruinous Grozny.
In this respect we shall remind that Sergei Stepashin, the chairman of the Russian Audit Chamber, harshly criticized the fulfillment of the federal assistance program in Chechnya. Speaking at a meeting with “the president” and members of “the government” of Chechnya in Grozny, Stepashin said: “None of the objects scheduled to be put into operation in 2004, have been completed, although 5 billion rubles were allotted for these purposes.” It is well known where the money goes… An unexpected explosion follows blamed on Chechen Resistance. And that’s it!
Besides, Mingarelli urged to improve the situation with human rights in Chechnya. In turn Alkhanov demanded European countries to take measures against “Chechens who currently reside in Europe but committed crimes at home.” Similar attempts were made by Russia’s general prosecutor Ustinov (e.g. seeking extradition of Berezovsky and Zakayev), but in vain.
We believe that first of all human rights and a peaceful solution for Chechnya rather than healthcare and education must be a priority direction for the European Union. The West shall not step aside from the bloody events in Chechnya behind a screen of humanitarian and economic assistance. The main point is to help Chechens survive and, if possible, to remain a healthy nation. The latter, however, seems problematic already.
However, Chechens themselves have no illusions about the intentions of the Europeans. «We’ve seen enough of these commissions," provost of Grozny University Lema Turpalov told Kommersant yesterday. «They come, look, listen, and leave, and we are left to face our problems alone."
The Chechen Times
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