Mr. Chairman,

During last week's Annual Implementation Assessment Meeting, this delegation and others reiterated our continuing concerns over the Russian Federation's fulfillment of its Vienna Document and Code of Conduct commitments as it continues military operations in the North Caucasus.

We note that the Russian Federation has taken steps towards answering the concerns that we and others have expressed over the past months. In the first instance, Russia provided updated information on the equipment and personnel strength of its forces engaged in operations in and around Chechnya. We are encouraged by the Russian announcement during the AIAM that it planned to fulfill the pledge it made last October to host an observation visit. Nonetheless, like others, we are concerned that holding the observation in June will not meet participating States’ expectations with regard to transparency. We urge the Russian Federation to seriously consider advancing the observation visit to an earlier date.

We are deeply disturbed by a series of reports, of which assertions of a massacre at Katyr Yurt are the latest example, alleging killing, torture and other human rights abuses by Russian troops in Chechnya. Such reports cast doubt on Russia’s fulfillment of its Code of Conduct commitments. It is because of the seriousness of these allegations that we urge the Government of Russia to investigate in an open and transparent way and, where warranted, prosecute those responsible for violations.

We took note of the comments by the representative of the Russian Federation during the AIAM that Russian authorities were investigating acts by members of its armed forces that violated humanitarian law. We also welcome statements by Russia's human rights ombudsman Vladimir Kalamanov that two European representatives will join his staff on Acting President Putin's special human rights commission in Chechnya, which was confirmed in last Friday's meetings between Secretary Albright and Foreign Minister Ivanov.

Finally, Mr. Chairman, as we hear from Russian spokesmen that the military phase of operations in Chechnya is approaching its conclusion, we repeat what we have made clear over the past months: Russia needs to take meaningful steps -- consistent with its commitments under the Code of Conduct -- towards a political solution of the conflict. We continue to believe that the OSCE can play a role in that process.