PUTIN SUPPORTS IDEA OF HUMAN RIGHTS FORUM
Izvestia, July 31, 2003, p. 3
Yesterday President Vladimir Putin met with Ella Pamfilova, chairwoman of the presidential human rights commission. They discussed the human rights situation in Russia.
“The president supported the commission’s proposal to hold a national public forum,” Pamfilova reported after the meeting. She said Putin is strongly advising the heads of law-enforcement agencies to take part in the forum. Besides, the president considers that there ought to be more cooperation between law-enforcement agencies and non-government organizations. According to Pamfilova, the president supported the idea of addressing the public in connection with the need to pass a law on public oversight of human rights observance in the prison system.
KADYROV WANTS TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT OF CHECHNYA INDEPENDENTLY
Izvestia, July 31, 2003, p. 3
Akhmat Kadyrov will be an independent candidate at the forthcoming presidential election in Chechnya. “I am deeply grateful to leader of the United Russia party Boris Gryzlov, leader of the People’s Party Gennady Raikov, and representatives of other parties and movements which have nominated me and declared their intention to support my candidacy. Nonetheless, it is my desire to run as an independent candidate, since I believe that the future president of Chechnya ought not to be bound by any obligation to any political organization,” Kadyrov announced yesterday. According to Kadyrov, once in office as president of Chechnya, he would like to represent the whole multi-ethnic population of the republic.
PROBLEMS OF RUSSIANS IN TURKMENISTAN TO BE ADDRESSED IN SEPTEMBER
Izvestia, July 31, 2003, p. 3
Russia and Turkmenistan have agreed to hold the second meeting of the Russian-Turkmen Commission on Citizenship next September in Moscow. The Russian Foreign Ministry reported yesterday that Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Fedotov, co-chairman of the commission, and Turkmen Ambassador to Russia Khalnazar Agakhanov had agreed on this the previous evening. It was pointed out at the meeting that “the dual citizenship controversy has settled down somewhat, but there are still a number of unsolved problems.” Fedotov raised the question of abolishing permission notes made in the passports of people with dual citizenship who wish to leave Turkmenistan. Fedotov stressed the urgent need to resolve the problem. The Turkmen ambassador was informed that arrangements are being made for a Russian delegation to visit Turkmenistan, to look into the situation regarding the status of Russian citizens there, following a proposal from President Saparmurat Niyazov.
