Mr President, President-in-Office of the Council, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the delegation I head is happy that it was able to gain first-hand knowledge of the situation. That is what happened the first time. We met the Russian, Ingushetian and Chechnyan leaders and members of their governments. We met people in camps and in Grozny too, as well as the Chechen diaspora in Moscow, and obviously members of humanitarian organisations, both national and international. Besides human rights, we wanted to get to know about social, economic and educational issues and medical facilities, the situation regarding refugees and the possibilities of leading a normal life in general. Firstly, I wish to raise the matter of Russia’s change of strategy. It is no longer pursuing a military solution but a political one. This is a positive approach and one that the European Parliament has been calling for for a long time. Secondly, it is obvious that all parties are tired of war and want peace. I do not now mean the criminal elements that have turned the war into a means of making money. Thirdly, it would appear that a window of opportunity has presented itself that is to last about a year, until the elections in the Russian Federation and Chechnya are over. It is to be feared that after the elections the situation may go back to what it was before. For that reason, there should now be strong support for the political process that has been started. There is also the risk of ‘Chechenisation’ of the conflict, with violence moving more and more in the direction of civil war. On the road to peace it is vital that Russia should convict war criminals and that the army should withdraw. Human rights must be protected. The Chechens must also cease their armed struggle and terrorist attacks. Observations have been made from several sources that combat action on the part of the Russian army has already diminished in the region over the last six months. At the same time, however, violence on the part of armed groups has increased, which is very worrying. We must determinedly press on with the social, cultural and economic reconstruction that has only just started. As one possible candidate for President of Chechnya said to me, money creates peace. The Russian Government has put together a kind of politico-economic package to normalise the situation. It may well need revising and adding to, but the choice of direction is important here. In connection with this, the European Union should likewise strengthen its measures in the region. The European Union is already the biggest external provider of assistance. The Commission recently also granted EUR 16 million in humanitarian aid, which is only right. Our delegation is calling on the aid organisations to get to the region quickly, safely and unimpeded. Without outside help it will take even longer to put things right. It is also essential that the office of the OSCE in Znamenskoje can be got fully up and running without delay. In a few months’ time they will be planning elections and the start of election campaigns there. It will be very important to check that the campaign is made transparent and that the requirements of democracy are being fulfilled. This will require a long-term presence. If the campaigns are not democratic the elections can hardly be either. Finally, the idea of a peace conference has also been proposed. All parties could participate as well as the European Union, the Council of Europe and the OSCE. I have not named the guilty parties in my speech because now is the time to seek peace.

Political group: PSE