Mr. Chairman, since our last meeting in this room, disturbing reports from Chechnya have raised further concerns about the scale of violence as well as the operational methods that are being employed by the Russian military.

President Yeltsin stated last week that the second phase of operations has been completed and that a third phase is beginning. That statement was circulated by the Russian Federation’s delegation on December 6 (SEC.DEL/340/99).

We note that the Russian Vienna Document notification of October 28 addressed only the first phase of operations.

Moreover, recent Russian press reports describe a major escalation in the fighting, which is now characterized by some as a full-scale war.

In the interest of transparency and making possible a more objective understanding of what looks to us to be a new situation, we call on Russia to fully comply with its Vienna Document commitment and to notify up-to-date details on its force disposition and military objectives.

An observation visit, as Russia promised in its October 28 notification, would also enhance all OSCE States' ability to assess objectively the situation. The gradual normalization of conditions that we have heard about in this forum argues for an observation visit to take place in the near future.

As we have said here before, we question neither Russia's right nor responsibility to fight terrorism. However, we remain deeply concerned with the means Russia has chosen to do so.

We have repeatedly raised here and elsewhere concerns about the indiscriminate and disproportionate use of force.

We are deeply disturbed by reports that Russia has dropped leaflets over Chechnya warning the residents of Grozny to leave the city and declaring that all who remain will be "destroyed."

We cannot accept the implication that the defeat of terrorist bands requires the destruction of Grozny, to include the homes and business of innocent civilians, as well as the infrastructure that sustains them.

This method of operations would threaten the old, the infirm, and others who cannot or are afraid to leave, who would likely die in the thousands. The provision of prior warning in no way relieves Russia of its obligation to differentiate between legitimate targets and innocent civilians.

Russia's ultimatum or, if you wish to parse words, warning with a time limit, to the civilian residents of Grozny is inconsistent with Russia's Code of Conduct commitments to ensure that the use of force is "commensurate" and that Russian armed forces "take due care to avoid injury to civilians or their property."

Last week, Germany, citing paragraphs 29 and 30 of the Code of Conduct, questioned the adequacy of training for Russian troops so that they understood fully their responsibilities to uphold international humanitarian law. Russian forces' continued, indiscriminate application of massive firepower against Grozny and other population centers lend credence to our German colleagues’ concerns.

In his December 6 Human Rights Day speech, President Clinton said, "Russia's fight against terrorism is right, but the methods being used in Chechnya are wrong. And I am convinced they will be counterproductive. . . . Russia will pay a heavy price for those actions with each passing day, sinking deeply into a morass that will intensify extremism and diminish its own standing in the world."

We call on the Government of Russia, as a friend, not as an adversary, to seek a political solution to the conflict in Chechnya, consistent with its commitments in paragraph 19 of the Code of Conduct.

The scheduled visit of Chairman-in-Office Vollebaek to the North Caucasus could prove to be an important step in the pursuit of a political solution to the conflict. We look forward to that visit with the hope and the expectation that it could become part of a political solution to this tragic series of events.

Russia’s OSCE partners stand ready to assist Russia in finding a solution to the tragedy of Chechnya and in creating conditions for stability, security, and economic prosperity in the region, as we all affirmed at Istanbul. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.