Mr. Chairman, we would like to reiterate our continued concern about the situation in the North Caucasus, particularly in light of the recent shocking violence in Groznyy and the reports this morning that it is continuing and even intensifying.

As we noted in yesterday’s plenary meeting of the Forum for Security Cooperation, we are deeply concerned that these reports suggest that certain norms of military behavior, as set forth in the Code of Conduct on Politico-military Aspects of Security, have apparently not been observed.

We, like the EU, also call for the Russian Federation to comply with the Vienna Document 1994 requirements to provide notification and to provide information on the relationship between its concentration of forces and Chapter V of the Vienna Document 1994 on Observation of Certain Military Activities.

We believe that the continuing spread of violence in the region will be contrary to everyone's interests except one group: those who rely on violence as a means to their political ends, including those who would be pursuing separatist ends.

Russia's last war in Chechnya demonstrated that there can be no purely military solution to the problems of the North Caucasus, and there must therefore be a vigorous and conscientious effort to engage in a serious political dialogue.

All parties must avoid indiscriminate and disproportionate use of force that would harm innocent civilians.

There is no sustainable argument that the innocent women and children of Chechnya are bandits or terrorists.

Mr. Chairman, Russia's progress toward developing a civil society, including democracy and rule of law, will be in jeopardy if it continues to permit a backlash against its citizens because of their ethnicity or religion.

Finally, in defending its own territory, Russia should take special care to respect the independence and security concerns of neighboring states, especially those of Georgia and Azerbaijan.