Umar Hanbiyev: "This is a demonstration of good will". Statement by Umar Hanbiyev

Kavkaz Center, 3 February 2005

General Envoy of the President of the ChRI to Foreign Countries Umar Hanbiyev commented the news about the stop of offensive military operations by the Chechen Armed Forces as follows:

"The Chechen side has halted the war unilaterally for a period. The idea of a unilateral stop of offensive military operations was discussed by the Chechen side a long time ago. The order of 14 January by the President of the ChRI, Supreme Commander-in-chief of the ChRI Armed Forces, chairman of the ChRI State Defense Committee A. Maskhadov about a stop [of operations] by the Armed Forces of the ChRI, is to show a manifestation of good will; the unilateral order to halt all forms of military activity of an offensive character is a demonstration of good will and an invitation to the Russian side to end the war at the table of political negotiations.

By this step, the President of the ChRI declared to the world that the Armed Forces of the ChRI aren't fragmented groups, like they want to describe us in Moscow, but the Armed Forces of the ChRI, subordinated to the Commander-in-chief and controlled by him.

The Chechen side is capable of a step of good will and therefore it unilaterally halts active offensive military operations for a period. Without a doubt, only a strong side is capable of such a step.

We hope for the presence of political will and for an adequate step by the Russian side in order to put an end to this long and bloody war."