On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Treaty of Peace between Russia and Chechnya, the government of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria and International Catholic Peace Movement Pax Christi’s Flemish branch together with members of the European Parliamentorganised an international conference in Brussels on May 15.

The conference hosted many well-known names. The conference was opened with welcome speeches of Aminat Saiyeva, Foreign Minister of ChRI and Annemarie Gielen, director of Pax Christi. The first part of the conference was devoted to the “historical and political signifiance of the Peace Treaty of 12th May 1997”. In this part, Mr Prime Minister Akhmed Zakayev, Lithuania’s first president Prof Vytautas Landsbergis, Russian economist Andrey Illarionov, writer Viktor Suvorov, Russian politician Konstantin Borovoy, political writer Andrey Piontkovsky, General Secretary of the Lithuanian Parliamentary Group on Chechnya Algirdas Endiukaitis, a former Chechen deputy from the first Chechen Parliament Magomed Bagalov, President of the Assembly of Chechens in Europe Akhmed Dokudayev, deputy from the ChRI Parliament Huseyn Iskhanov and Secretary of the Chechen Youth Organization “Noxchiycho” Madina Mitsayeva gave speeches. “Current political, social and rights situation in Chechnya” was discussed in the second part. board member of Memorial Svetlana Gannushkina, head of Russian – Chechen Friendship Society Stanislav Dmitrievsky, member of Committe Against Torture Oleg Khabibrakhmanov, correspondent Radio Liberty Amina Umarova, representative of ChRI in Sweden Mayrbek Taramov were speakers of this part. In the last and third part, current mass emigration of Chechens from Chechnya was the disccussion topic and representative of ChRI in international organizations Said-Emin Ibragimov, representative of ChRI in Poland Rubati Mitsayeva, Honorary Consul of the ChRI in Germany Ekkahard Mass, General Secreter of the Human Rights Analytical Center in Norway Akhmed Gisayev and member of International Humanitarian Initiative Foundation in Poland Maria Ksiazak gave speeches. At the end of conference, the participants voted and signed a declaration. Here is the joint statement:

JOINT RUSSIAN-CHECHEN STATEMENT ON THE OCCASION OF THE 20-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE TREATY OF PEACE AND PRINCIPLES OF RELATIONS BETWEEN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AND THE CHECHEN REPUBLIC OF ICHKERIA

We, the representatives of the Russian public, members of the Government of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria in exile, representatives of the Chechen community, met in Brussels on May 15, 2017, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the signing in Moscow on May 12, 1997 by the Presidents of the Russian Federation Boris Yeltsin and the Chechen Republic Ichkeria Aslan Maskhadov of the Treaty on Peace and the Principles of Relations between the Russian Federation and the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (hereinafter the “Treaty”).

The participants of the meeting emphasize the exceptional importance of the Treaty signed 20 years ago, which demonstrated the sincere desire of the top legitimate representatives of Russia and Chechnya to end the centuries-long confrontation of our peoples.

The participants of the meeting note that the Treaty is the current document that defines the basis for the relationship between the Russian Federation and the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria based on the principles and norms of international law and aimed at establishing peaceful, equitable, good-neighborly, mutually beneficial relations between the Russian Federation and the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria and their peoples.

The participants of the meeting emphasize the special significance of the Treaty for the present and the future of the peoples of Russia and Chechnya as a document proclaiming the rejection from using force and threat of use of force in resolving any disputable issues.

The participants of the meeting confirm that the Treaty is a framework and assumes (Article 3 of the Treaty) the conclusion of additional agreements on the entire range of bilateral relations in accordance with generally recognized principles and norms of international law.

Participants of the meeting bow their heads in memory of tens of thousands of innocent victims of the Russian-Chechen wars, which brought unimaginable suffering to the peoples of Russia and Chechnya, immeasurable material destruction, colossal financial losses, stopped and reversed the democratic development of our peoples.

The participants of the meeting declare that after the dissapearance of the authoritarian regime in Russia from the historical stage, the bilateral relations between free Russia and free Chechnya should be built on the basis of this Treaty.

The participants of the meeting express their gratitude to the members of the European Parliament, as well as to the Flemish branch of the International Catholic Peace Movement PaxChristi, who helped organize the meeting.

Brussels, May 15, 2017

The statement is signed –

For the Russian side:
S.Dmitrievsky
A.Dolgikh
A. Illarionov
A.Kirilenko
A.Piontkovsky
A.Romanov

For the Chechen side:
A.Zakayev
Chairman of the ChRI Government in exile
A. Dokudaev
President of the Assembly of Chechens in Europe
M.Mitsaeva
Secretary of the Union of Chechen Youth “Nokhchicho”

Original copy of signed document: