Mr. Chairman, we welcome your report on the Chairman-in-Office Vollebaek’s plans to visit the North Caucasus December 14 – 15 and we welcome Russia’s invitation for him to make that visit.

We hope and expect this visit will become the start of the political process that can address the whole spectrum of issues outlined in the Istanbul Summit Declaration, to which all of us agreed. We continue to urge all sides to seek a political solution. We look forward to the report next Wednesday afternoon of Minister Vollebaek’s findings and a discussion of how we follow-up on his work.

At the same time as we welcome your announcement and the Russian Federation’s invitation, we must express our deep and continuing concern about reports that the Russian Government has dropped leaflets over Groznyy warning all residents to leave the city by December 11 or "be destroyed."

We are deeply troubled by the implication that the defeat of terrorist requires the destruction of an entire city, including the homes and workplaces of innocent civilians and the physical infrastructure that sustains their lives.

This method of work threatens to victimize all citizens of Groznyy, but particularly the infirm, elderly, families with young children and those who are simply too afraid to flee in the midst of an ongoing bombardment and artillery barrage – or those who simply feel they have nowhere to go.

We believe it incumbent on the Government of Russia to differentiate between legitimate military targets and civilians.

To act otherwise is inconsistent with Russia’s Code of Conduct and Geneva Convention commitments, which require one to ensure that the use of force is commensurate and that armed forces "take due care to avoid injury to civilians or their property."

Mr. Chairman, as we and others have said before—the President as late as last night—we do not question Russia’s right or responsibility to fight terrorism or insurgencies on its soil. However, we are increasingly concerned by the means Russia has chosen to do so.

We call on Russia once again to initiate a dialogue with the goal of finding a political solution.

Finally, we would again remind Russia to take special care to respect the independence and security concerns of neighboring states such as Georgia and Azerbaijan.