BRUSSELS -- The European Union, seeking to pressure President Boris Yeltsin into a negotiated settlement with breakaway Chechnya, on Monday delayed implementing an economic accord with Moscow.
The 15 EU foreign ministers acquiesced in a decision of the EU Executive Commission not to seek the ratification of the accord Yeltsin and the EU heads of state signed last summer. "We freeze it de facto, but without saying so," said Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jacques Poos.
The move did not result in economic sanctions, reflecting the fear in EU capitals that this would harm relations and hurt the economic reform drive.
"We don't want to destroy our work with Russia," said British Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd. "I'm not in favor of sanctions."
But Germany could halt its financial support for Russia if Moscow does not change its approach to crushing rebel Chechnya's independence bid, Bonn Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel said Monday.
Kinkel, who demanded an end to the Chechen conflict after meeting his Russian counterpart Andrei Kozyrev in Switzerland on Sunday, told German radio that Bonn still considered economic sanctions against Russia unnecessary and unjustified.
But he added: "Once again I told the Russian foreign minister clearly and plainly that if things continue in Chechnya as they appear at the moment, then investment and of course economic support as well will automatically be withheld."
As a leading supporter of the reform process in Russia, Germany has a special right to insist Moscow continue along the path to democracy with a market economy, he said.
"If we continue to trust in the reform process, then that is not a one-way street, then Russia must also justify this trust," he said.
)
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.