MOSCOW. June 27 (Interfax-AVN) - The United States sees the conflict in Chechnya as Russia's internal affair, U.S. Ambassador in Russia Alexander Vershbow said in response to a question from Interfax in Moscow on Thursday.
However, Vershbow said the U.S. believes that a political process is needed to end the fighting and to create the conditions for restoration of normal life to Chechnya.
Vershbow said he had discussed this issue while meeting with Russian Minister on Chechnya Vladimir Yelagin on Wednesday.
The U.S. ambassador believes that all military actions should be stopped in Chechnya and negotiations launched to encourage those who have not yet handed over arms to do so, in order to achieve success in Chechnya's reconstruction.
Asked whether he means the need for talks between the federal center and separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov, Vershbow said the U.S. position is that Russia has the right to decide with whom to hold talks aimed at ensuring a complete settlement of the conflict.
The ambassador said, however, that it is obvious that Maskhadov is a factor currently influencing the situation in Chechnya. Vershbow noted that the United States has no favorites among possible Chechen leaders, but believes that a political process in Chechnya should involve a broad representation of different groups.
He said the U.S. government is making efforts to curb external financial and other support for Chechen terrorists. Vershbow expressed hopes that this would create a favorable climate for a political settlement of the Chechen problem. The ambassador said stabilization in Chechnya is in line with the interests of the United States and Russia.