In his article leader of the Abkhazian Diaspora in the U.S. Inal Kazanba points out that "the Diaspora has provided considerable financial and economic support to its motherland" but "in spite of this during the last decade the present regime in Sukhumi has never treated them as its equals, it means true Abkhazians."

According to the chairman of the National Self-Determination association, had the authorities just a little respect and love for Artsakh they would understand their main mission is to renounce the power. "In this case we will not only gain time but also will have a serious support," he thinks.

"Internews' Media Rights Institute urges all foreign diplomatic missions, in particular the Council of Europe, to which Azerbaijan was made a member in 2001, to voice their concerns that such legislation is not worthy of a government attempting to move toward democratic ideals," reads the statement by the organization.

Russian special operations forces captured two rebels. It follows from their evidence that the large part of the rebels has been destroyed before as a result of air strikes, another part is buried under a snow avalanche.

A meeting between parliamentary delegations of Armenia and Azerbaijan was held in Scotland on December 20 under the aegis of the South Caucasian Inter-Parliamentary Initiative and with the financial support of the London Information Network on Conflicts and State-Building (LINKS).

The seminar was organized by the Saint Petersburg Center "Strategy" and the Moscow Helsinki Group with the participation of the Ingush President's staff.

"The fact that large forces engaged in the operation in Dagestan have not succeeded in uncovering and destroying the militants for almost two weeks points that they are dealing with the people who are perfectly at home in the area and are supported by locals," Abubakar Makhmudov, an officer of Chechen law-enforcement agencies, holds.

The Charter is one of the fundamental documents of the Council of Europe, it supplements the European Convention on Human Rights.

A police department was fired at in the Chechen village of Petropavlovskaya. Two police officers were killed as a result.

The Serzhen-Yurt village administration rendered much help to set Ayub Bedigov free.

Vladimir Putin met Acting President of Georgia Nino Burdjanadze in the Kremlin on Thursday December 25. It was a face to face meeting.

2,500 pupils of the 9th form study various aspects of international humanitarian law (IHL) within the limits of such disciplines as history and social science.

The 12th meeting in the Georgian-Abkhazian Dialogue, a series of seminars on the conflict between Georgia and Abkhazia and its peaceful resolution, was held in Stadtschlaining, Austria, on December 15-20, 2003. Participants discussed a political situation in Georgia and Abkhazia and opportunities that appear due to the change of power in Tbilisi.

"I am ready to accept all the responsibility for the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and do not shift it onto anybody," stated President of Armenia Robert Kocharian.

One of the banners belonged to the so-called Abkhazian Battalion, which took part in the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict under the command of Shamil Basayev. The other banner belonged to the so-called Central Front of the Ichkerian Armed Forces.

The military use the tactics of contactless elimination of the extremists. The latter are under ceaseless artillery and mortar gunfire and air strikes.

The model presented by sculptor Alan Karnayev was chosen to be the best one. This model represents a man and a sweet - a killed soldier and his immortal sole.

The conference "Ethnic and Social Problems in North Caucasus in Present Context" has been held at the Nevinnomyssk branch of the Stavropol Basic Medical College.

Elmira Suleymanova reported she has received 4500 complaints from the citizens in 2003. A little more than a half of them came within her authority as the ombudswoman and was taken for consideration.

The Azerbaijan Parliament regarded the decision of the Swiss Parliament as "appropriation of the role of a judge and intervention in internal affairs of the other state."