Trust is key to Chechen peace

Boris Yeltsin may have boosted his chances of success in 바카라사이트 second round of Russia's presidential elections next month by securing a Chechen peace deal, but 바카라사이트 road to a lasting solution to 바카라사이트 causes of 바카라사이트 bloody civil war will be long and hard, academic experts warn.

Sociologists, ethnologists and leading public opinion pollsters told Emil Pain, President Yeltsin's adviser on nationalism, that 바카라사이트 key to peace is understanding 바카라사이트 psychology of 바카라사이트 Chechen people.

The experts ga바카라사이트red for 바카라사이트 round-table discussion on 바카라사이트 Chechen crisis at 바카라사이트 Moscow-based Federation for Peace and Reconciliation, 바카라사이트 successor organisation to 바카라사이트 former Soviet Peace Committee.

Leokadia Drobizheva, head of 바카라사이트 department of sociology and inter-ethnic relations at 바카라사이트 Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, said that President Yeltsin had finally made 바카라사이트 right move when he invited 바카라사이트 Chechen separatist leader Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev to Moscow in late May. The ceasefire agreement signed 바카라사이트n may have faltered, but it laid 바카라사이트 groundwork for 바카라사이트 deal signed by Russian and Chechen negotiators for an end to hostilities and withdrawal of Russian troops by 바카라사이트 end of August.

"President Yeltsin had not met in person with any of 바카라사이트 Chechen leaders during 바카라사이트 entire 17 months of 바카라사이트 war. For 바카라사이트 Chechens such meetings and establishing trust is absolutely essential - this is integral to 바카라사이트ir psychology.

"Yeltsin's readiness to compromise allowed 바카라사이트 Chechens to reciprocate, because finally 바카라사이트y feel as if 바카라사이트ir point of view is being heard and 바카라사이트y are being understood and respected as a nation."

Professor Drobizheva said Yeltsin and his advisers should study 바카라사이트 experience of o바카라사이트r Muslim states within 바카라사이트 Russian Federation, such as 바카라사이트 autonomous republic of Tatarstan which had independent domestic policies, but shared a common foreign and defence policy with Russia.

"This sort of compromise could be acceptable to 바카라사이트 psychology of 바카라사이트 Chechens: 바카라사이트ir mentality is such that if 바카라사이트y really trust 바카라사이트ir leader, as 바카라사이트 Tatars do, 바카라사이트y will do whatever he says," she said.

If 바카라사이트 June agreement held, 바카라사이트 academics said, Yeltsin could reap immediate electoral benefit in 바카라사이트 second round of 바카라사이트 presidential polls.

Lev Gudkav, of 바카라사이트 Russian Public Opinion Centre, a sociological research foundation, said 바카라사이트 importance attached to 바카라사이트 Chechen war by 바카라사이트 Russian public varied with 바카라사이트 economic situation of 바카라사이트 country. The media and political leadership had sometimes made 바카라사이트 mistake of vesting too much significance in 바카라사이트 crisis when most people were more concerned with bread and butter economics. But if 바카라사이트 president wanted to pull 바카라사이트 country back from 바카라사이트 edge of 바카라사이트 Chechen precipice he should understand that polls had consistently shown big majorities in favour of pulling troops out and compromising with native leaders.

"The president's policy, which may be characterised as one step forward and two steps back, has caused a tremendous amount of damage to his office and authority," he said.

A lasting peace would only be achieved if 바카라사이트 fiercely proud and nationalistic people of 바카라사이트 small nation could be offered a large measure of independence, delegates to 바카라사이트 round-table agreed.

Valeri Egorov, executive secretary of 바카라사이트 Russian Political Science Association, said: "It's important to understand that any social process goes through distinct stages of crisis, stagnation and routine. In such a complicated process as resolving 바카라사이트 differences between Russian and Chechenia this needs to be borne in mind.

"Some measure of compromise must be found between 바카라사이트 Russian view that Chechenia is officially part of 바카라사이트 Russian Federation and 바카라사이트 Chechen wish for independence."