§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on representations to which he has been a party concerning the prosecution of the war in Chechnya. [108539]
§ Mr. VazWe have made frequent representations to the Russian government since the outbreak of hostilities in Chechnya, as has the EU. Most recently I raised the matter with Russian Foreign Minister Ivanov by telephone on 31 December 1999 and 11 January 2000.
§ Mrs. GillanTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from human rights organisations about the scale of civilian suffering in Chechnya; and if he will make a statement. [110331]
§ Mr. VazWe have received representations about the scale of civilian suffering in Chechnya from a wide number of sources, including Amnesty International, Medecins sans Frontieres and other NGOs. We have repeatedly made representations to the Russian government about the indiscriminate use of force in Chechnya and its impact on the civilian population, urging them to seek a political solution. The UK has given £1.4 million to UNHCR/ICRC appeals for humanitarian relief in Chechnya.
494WOther international organisations are also active. The Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) debated Russia's human rights performance on 27 January. It passed a recommendation calling on Russia to halt disproportionate military action, including attacks on the civilian population; for a dialogue leading to a ceasefire and a political solution; unhindered delivery of international assistance and access by Russian and international media; and a role for international organisations, including the CoE, in the search for a long-term solution. The relevant documents are available on the CoE website www.coe.fr/index/asp.