China backs Russia on Chechen crisis

It said Russian President Boris Yeltsin would pay a two-day visit to Beijing from December 9-10 for holding second summit with the Chinese President Jiang Zemin.

It surprised everybody here as Yeltsin was admitted in hospital for pneumonia treatment only two days back.

The radio said summit talks would include issues like closer cooperation on many burning issues of the day.

Chinese foreign ministry paid tributes to Russian troops for displaying restraint and deft handling of the rebels.

Meanwhile, Russian foreign minister Igor Ivanov told the West bluntly that Russia did not need any mediator on Chechen conflict. But, he said, Russia could accept relief aid for the uprooted Chechens now living in the neighbouring states of Russia.

In another development, Russian security forces took additional measures to protect the life of Chechen Mufti Mohammad Kadyrov, whom Chechen president had declared as a traitor and issued a decree to physically liquidate him.

Kremlin considers the mufti as a stabilising factor in the troubled Chechnya and had contributed to peaceful takeover of second largest Chechen city, Gudermes, by the Russian troops.

The mufti had given a call to the city dwellers to disassociate themselves from the militants and foreign mercenaries and he had also undertaken a tour of some of the Islamic states explaining the genesis of Chechen war. He blamed Chechen warlords and foreign mercenaries for the conflict.

Kremlin had launched a counter-campaign against the western world on Chechen issue. Russian foreign minister Igor Ivanov paid a flying visit to Iran on Sunday to explain the reasons for the Russian troops’ operation in Chechnya.

In Teheran, he also signed a agreement with Iranian government on the construction of various projects there including a powerful nuclear power station in Busher region.

It was considered significant as the United States had been opposing tooth and nail the setting up of Iranian nuclear power plant.

Not only that, from his hospital bed, Yeltsin yesterday assured PLO leader Yasser Arafat that Russia firmly stood for setting up an independent and separate Palestinian state and would actively work for securing peace in West Asia as a co-member of peace group consisting of major powers in the world.

The Russian president had a telephonic conversation with Arafat, who is here on a short visit.

Russia has officially disclosed here today that “The centre of solidarity with Chechnya” has been set up in Pakistani city of Karachi with a purpose to train more than 500 terrorist-mercenaries who will be sent to Russian breakaway Chechnya.