"Chechnya Peace Forum" July, 24th 2009.
ABDURAKHMANOV AND ZAKAEV: - FIRST TALKS IN EIGHT YEARS GIVE HOPE TO LASTING POLITICAL STABILITY IN CHECHNYA
The Chechnya Peace Forum has mediated the first talks for political stability in eight years in the latest move to resolve the conflict in Chechnya.
At a press conference on Friday 24th July in Oslo, Dukhvakha Abdurakhmanov, (Chairman of the Chechen Parliament and representative of the Kadyrov government) and Akhmed Zakaev (representative of the Maskhadov continuation government) spoke for the first time in public about their consultations.
Commenting on the talks Dukhvakha Abdurakhmanov, (Chairman of the Chechen Parliament and representative of the Kadyrov government) said: “The objectives of my recent meetings in Oslo with Mr Akhmed Zakaev have been to establish political stability for the ultimate goal of consolidating the Chechen nation.”
Akhmed Zakaev (representative of the Maskhadov continuation government) added: “The peaceful resolution of political issues is the only real guarantee of stability and every Chechen who cares about the future of the Chechen people, irrespective of his or her political platform, should participate in the burgeoning political process.”
Ivar Amundsen, Director of the Chechnya Peace Forum said: “I am pleased that these talks have been approved at the highest levels of the Russian leadership. I am very happy that the Chechen people, who have suffered great tragedies over the past fifteen years, now have a realistic opportunity to resolve their problems by peaceful means.”
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http://www.chechenpress.co.uk/content/2009/07/25/main01.shtml