From: trh@jack.sns.com (Al Trh)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.turkish
Subject: CIS meeting, Tatars, Abkhazia
Date: 9 Oct 1992 23:36:20 -0500
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
Reply-To: Turkish Cultural Program List <TRKNWS-L%USCVM.BitNet@pucc.PRINCETON.EDU>
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

                   RFE/RL Daily Report

                                      No. 195, 9 October 1992

                SUCCESSOR STATES TO THE USSR

     SUKHUMI RESIDENTS FLEE  EXPECTED  ABKHAZ ATTACK.   Up to
20% of the  population  of  the Abkhaz capital, Sukhumi, have
fled in anticipation of an attack by Abkhaz forces, according
to a Georgian  Red  Cross  official  quoted  by Reuters.   An
Abkhaz representative in  Moscow denied that an attack on the
town was imminent.   Georgian  and  Abkhaz  forces engaged in
shelling and small  arms  fire  in northern Abkhazia, and two
Georgian soldiers were  killed  when  their  armored  car was
destroyed by a landmine.   The UN Security Council called for
an immediate halt  to  the fighting and compliance with the 3
September ceasefire agreement,  and voted to send an observer
mission to Georgia  next week.  A request by Georgian Foreign
Minister Aleksandre Chkheidze  for  NATO observers to monitor
the Georgian elections was rejected on the grounds that other
organizations are better  qualified  to  do  so.    The First
International  Congress of  Abkhaz  in  Lykhny  addressed  an
appeal to the  UN to support Abkhaz self-determination and to
impose sanctions on  Georgia,  AFP  reported.    (Liz Fuller,
RFE/RL, Inc.)

     CIS SUMMIT STARTS.  The CIS summit in Bishkek started on
9 October with  a  joint  session  of  the heads of state and
heads of government,  ITAR-TASS  reported.    All  ten member
states are participating,  and  Georgia  and  Azerbaijan have
sent observers.   ITAR-TASS  said that it had been decided to
postpone the adoption  of a declaration on obligations in the
field of human  rights  until  a  CIS  summit  in  Minsk on 8
December.   After two  hours  of  discussion,  agreements  on
coordinating  economic  legislation,   the   creation  of  an
international TV company,  the mutual recognition of property
rights,  and  cooperation   in   ensuring  stability  on  the
Commonwealth's external frontiers  were  said to be ready for
signing.  Progress on  the other items on the agenda seems to
have been more  limited.   Agreement was reached in principle
to create an  intergovernmental  bank for the ruble zone, and
the CIS charter was given its first reading only.   ITAR-TASS
reported  that  an   agreement  on  creating  a  Consultative
Economic Working Commission  (presumably  a less tightly knit
body  than  the  planned  consultative-coordinating  economic
council) would be  adopted  together  with the charter at the
next summit, and  that  it had been agreed to sign a document
on the "course of the formation" of the economic court.  (Ann
Sheehy, RFE/RL, Inc.)

     CIS HEADS OF  STATE  TO DISCUSS NUCLEAR WEAPONS CONTROL.
In Bishkek today,  a  proposal  by  CIS  Commander  in  Chief
Shaposhnikov to give  Russia  sole  control over launch codes
and the dismantling  of  nuclear  weapons  will be discussed,
Interfax reported on  8  October.   Russian  Defense Minister
Grachev claims that  Belarus  supports  the proposal and will
dismantle its weapons  within  three  years,  rather than the
seven  previously agreed.   Kazakhstan  has  agreed  on  both
control and dismantling issues.  Ukraine rejects the proposal
completely. On 8 October, Ukrainian President Kravchuk stated
that Ukraine did  not  desire  sole  launch authority for its
nuclear weapons, but  insisted  that  it  be able to veto any
launch order from  the  Russian  or  CIS  command.   Kravchuk
claimed that the  proposal  would  complicate ratification of
the START treaty.    Ukraine has also been reluctant to allow
the removal of  the  weapons  to Russia for dismantling.   It
seems likely that  the  summit will produce a split decision,
with Kazakhstan and  Belarus  handing over control to Russia,
while Ukraine refuses,  introducing  even greater uncertainty
into the nuclear  control  system,  and  increasing  tensions
between Russia and Ukraine. (John Lepingwell, RFE/RL, Inc.)

     DETAILS OF CIS  DRAFT  TREATY  ON DEFENSE AND COLLECTIVE
SECURITY  RELEASED.   According  to  Interfax  reports  of  8
October, the signatories  agree  to  defend  each  other from
external threats, in  accordance  with  decisions  by the CIS
Council of Heads  of State.  The "United Armed Forces" of the
CIS would apparently  include  strategic  nuclear  weapons as
well  as  conventional   forces.   The  draft  agreement  was
initialled by nine states on 8 October, excluding Moldova and
Ukraine.  Azerbaijan initialled the treaty but is unlikely to
sign it in  the  wake  of  its  decision not to join the CIS.
Ukraine claims that the treaty makes sense only until all its
nuclear forces are  dismantled.    The treaty's provisions on
nuclear forces are  unclear:  to  be  consistent with new CIS
proposals on nuclear  weapons, Russia would presumably assign
strategic nuclear forces  to  the CIS command in the event of
an emergency. (John Lepingwell, RFE/RL, Inc.)

     CIS PEACEKEEPERS FOR  TAJIKISTAN.  Following two days of
talks  mediated  by   a   CIS  delegation  headed  by  Kirgiz
Vice-President Felix Kulov,  the  Tajik Supreme Soviet agreed
provisionally on 8  October  to  the  Kirgiz proposal to send
peacekeepers to separate  the  warring  sides  in  south-west
Tajikistan, Radio Moscow  reported.    Interfax quoted acting
Tajik President Akbar  Iskandarov as stating that only Kirgiz
peacekeeping troops would  be  acceptable and not contingents
from other CIS states. (Liz Fuller, RFE/RL, Inc.)

     "RUKH" SUPPORTS CRIMEAN  TATARS.    "Rukh" has adopted a
resolution condemning the  authorities  for the attack on the
Crimean Tatar settlement in Krasnyi Rai on 1 October, "Mayak"
and DR-Press reported  on 8 October.   The destruction of the
Crimean Tatar homes  on  the  territory of a state farm there
has resulted in  an escalation of the conflict.  "Rukh" calls
the actions of the authorities a continuation of the genocide
against the Crimean Tatars. (Roman Solchanyk, RFE/RL, Inc.)

     AZERBAIJAN  TIGHTENS  SECURITY   ON   IRANIAN  FRONTIER.
Azerbaijan has deployed  tanks,  armored  cars and additional
frontier troops along its border with Iran following a decree
by Azerbaijani President Abulfaz Elchibey imposing a state of
emergency  in  the   Dzhalilabad   and   Yardymly  raions  in
south-east Azerbaijan, according to an AFP report from Tehran
quoting travellers.  An  Azerbaijani  presidential  spokesman
said the move  was intended to prevent the smuggling of drugs
and contraband across  the  frontier.  On 6 October ITAR-TASS
reported a recent  increase in frontier violations, including
some by "groups  of  armed  horsemen."  (Liz  Fuller, RFE/RL,
Inc.)

     ETHNIC  COMMUNITIES  DELEGATION  IN  LITHUANIA.    On  7
October  representatives  of   the   Federation   of   Ethnic
Communities of Europe  held talks with the Lithuanian Supreme
Council's Citizens' Rights and Nationality Affairs Commission
as well as  the  Foreign  Affairs Commission, Radio Lithuania
reports.   The latter's  chairman  Vidmantas  Povilionis said
that the delegation learned that Lithuania has already passed
laws regulating the  status  of  all  minorities and not just
some as is  the  case in many European countries.  Povilionis
suggested that Lithuania's  laws  could  be a model for other
countries.  The delegation visited the Tatar mosque in Kaunas
and the Russian  cultural  center in Vilnius.  On 9 September
the  delegation will  have  a  meeting  with  Prime  Minister
Aleksandras  Abisala  and  hold  a  press  conference  before
departing.  (Saulius Girnius, RFE/RL, Inc.)
Xref: sparky soc.culture.turkish:10512 talk.politics.mideast:20933 talk.politics.soviet:8372 soc.culture.greek:9558 soc.culture.europe:8832 soc.history:8871 soc.culture.yugoslavia:9056 soc.culture.bosna-herzgvna:283