- Title: RUSSIA: DUDAYEV WILLING TO STEP DOWN IF RUSSIA RECOGNISES CHECHNYA'S SOVEREIGNITY
- Date: 3rd July 1995
- Summary: GROZNY, CHECHNYA, RUSSIA (JULY 3, 1995) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. SV RUSSIAN AND CHECHEN DELEGATES AT THE ORGANISATION FOR SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE (OSCE) HEADQUARTERS FOR TALKS/BRIEFING ON THE RESULTS OF THE TALKS (5 SHOTS) 0.20 2. SV DEPUTY HEAD OF THE RUSSIAN DELEGATION, ARKADY VOLSKY, SAYING HE MET CHECHEN REBEL COMMANDER DZHOKHAR DUDAYEV ON SUNDAY (JULY 2, 1995) NIGHT AND THAT DUDAYEV WOULD DISCUSS THE NEW CONDITIONS WITH MOSCOW (RUSSIAN) 0.43 3. SCU CHECHEN NEGOTIATOR, CHIEF PROSECUTOR USMAN IMAYEV SPEAKING, SAYING THAT IT WOULD NOT DISCUSS ANY POLITICAL ISSUES IN THE FIRST PLACE. ALSO SAYING HE REFUSES TO DISCUSS THE SO-CALLED "ZERO OPTION" BEFORE RUSSIAN MILITARY CONSESSIONS (RUSSIAN) 0.57 4. SV DELEGATE SPEAKING (RUSSIAN) 1.06 5. SV MEDIA 1.09 6. SV SECURITY AT DOOR TO OSCE HEADQUARTERS 1.16 7. SV CHECHEN DELEGATES LEAVING IN SEVERAL CARS 1.23 8. SLV CROWD OF CHECHEN WOMEN SHOUTING / GREETING THE CHECHEN DELEGATION 1.32 9. SV CHECHEN WOMEN CHANTING AND WAVING DUDAYEV'S PORTRAIT (2 SHOTS) 1.43 10.SLV RUSSIAN ARMOURED PERSONNEL CARRIERS DRIVING PAST WOMEN 1.53 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
- Embargoed: 18th July 1995 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: GROZNY, CHECHNYA, RUSSIA
- Reuters ID: LVA3Y0K68OWZN6Z3TCU5AB72M0R5
- Story Text: Rebel Chechen leader Dzhokhar Dudayev was quoted on Monday (July 3) as saying he was ready to step down if Russia recognised Chechnya's sovereignty, Itar-Tass news agency said.
The deputy head of the Russian delegation currently holding peace talks with the Chechens, Arkady Volsky, said he had met Dudayev on Sunday night and said Dudayev would discuss the new conditions with Moscow.
Volsky had asked Dudayev either to agree to the so-called "zero option" or to leave Chechnya and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Itar-Tass and Interfax news agencies reported.
Under the zero option floated by Moscow, Dudayev and the two leaders of the Moscow-installed temporary government in Chechnya would resign to pave the way for elections later this year.
Tass quoted Volsky as saying Dudayev had told him on Sunday night: "I agree to resign with the cabinet of ministers if the sovereignty of Chechnya is recognised." The Chechen side in the peace talks, which is led by chief prosecutor Usman Imayev, said it would not discuss any political issues unless the Russian delegates to the talks settled military issues in the first place. He also refused to discuss the "zero option" before Russian military concessions.
The peace talks, which started in earnest last month, had broken up abruptly on Sunday, apparently snagged on political issues such as the future of Dudayev.
The talks have established a peace process for the first time in the conflict, which has killed thousands of people.
The two sides have agreed a ceasefire and military protocol including a pledge by the rebels to disarm in return for the partial withdrawal of Russian troops.
Both sides have complained of ceasefire violations but say that in general the truce has held.
The talks are being mediated by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and will resume on Tuesday.
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