UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2009-01541 Doc No 017551196 Date 06119 2013 UNCLASSIFIED PTQ1140 RELEASED IN FULL UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 01 STATE ORIGIN SNIS-00 INFO LOG-00 DODE-00 PA-02 PMB-00 AGRE-00 EUR-01 PM-00 012R 092856 PTQ1140 1502132 AID-00 TEDE-00 PRS-01 A-01 INR-00 SP-00 CIAE-00 ADS-00 SSO-00 CPR-02 NSAE-00 USIE-00 OASY-00 OIG-04 NISC-01 DRAFTED BY S NIS AJOHNSON DME APPROVED BY S NIS JCOLLINS ------------------BBE905 150215Z 38 O 1501172 APR 95 FM SECSTATE WASHDC TO CIS COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE UNCLAS STATE 092856 E O 12356 N A TAGS OPRC SUBJECT S NIS PRESS GUIDANCE - APRIL 14 1995 1 THE FOLLOWING PRESS GUIDANCE WAS PREPARED AND APPROVED BY THE OFFICE OF THE AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE FOR THE NEW INDEPENDENT STATES FOR THE DEPARTMENT BRIEFINGS QUESTIONS SHOULD BE REFERRED TO ANNE JOHNSON SINIS PUBLIC AFFAIRS RUSSIA CHECHNYA UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 STATE 092856 150213Z UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE REVIEW AUTHORITY THEODORE SELLIN DATE CASE ID 08 OCT 2009 200901541 UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2009-01541 Doc No C17551196 Date 06 19 2013 E7 UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2009-01541 Doc No C17551196 Date 06 19 2013 Q A DO YOU HAVE AN UPDATE ON CHECHN Uh 1 V CLAS SIF IED RUSSIAN FORCES REPORTEDLY POUNDED THE TOWN OF BAMUT THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT LAST NIGHT AND HAVE SURROUNDED IT TODAY THE CAPTURE OF BAMUT WOULD EFFECTIVELY GIVE THE RUSSIANS CONTROL OVER ALL THE URBAN AND AGRICULTURAL AREAS IN CHECHNYA CHECHEN FIGHTERS WHO HAVE FLED THE TOWNS HAVE TAKEN UP POSITIONS IN THE FOOTHILLS AND IN THE MOUNTAINS IN SOUTHERN CHECHNYA JOURNALISTS WHO HAVE TRAVELED TO BAMUT REPORT THAT THE TOWN ITSELF IS NEARLY ABANDONED BUT THAT CHECHEN FIGHTERS HAVE HOLED UP IN CONCRETE BUNKERS IN A FORMER SOVIET MISSILE BASE WE BELIEVE EVERY EFFORT MUST BE MADE BY ALL CONCERNED TO STOP THE FIGHTING AND IMMEDIATELY BEGIN TO WORK WITH THE OSCE TO START THE PROCESS OF ESTABLISHING A MECHANISM FOR PEACEFULLY RESOLVING THIS DISPUTE WE ARE DEEPLY DISTURBED BY THE CONTINUING REPORTS OF ATROCITIES AGAINST CIVILIANS IN SAMASHKI WE URGE THE RUSSIAN TROOPS TO RESPECT INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAWS SUCH AS THE GENEVA CONVENTIONS ON THE PROTECTION OF THE VICTIMS OF ARMED CONFLICT AND PROTOCOL II ON UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 STATE 092856 1502132 INTERNAL ARMED CONFLICTS SPECIFICALLY WE URGE THEM TO RESPECT THE REQUIREMENTS OF COMMON ARTICLE 3 TO THE 1949 CONVENTIONS ON HUMANE TREATMENT FOR CAPTURED INDIVIDUALS AND THE REQUIREMENT IN PROTOCOL II THAT CIVILIANS NOT BE MADE THE OBJECT OF ATTACKS UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2009-01541 Doc No C17551196 Date 06 19 2013 UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2009-01 54 1 Doc No C17551196 Date 06 19 2013 WE ALSO CALL UPON THEM TC ILDCHE UN CODE OF CONDUCT SIGNED E nLL v vL PARTICIPATING STATES INCLUDING RUSSIA LAST DECEMBER LASS111 SPECIFICIALLY WE RUGE RUSSIA TO RESPECT THE COMMITMENT TO USE FORCE COMMENSURATE WITH THE NEEDS FOR ENFORCEMENT AND TO TAKE DUE CARE TO AVOID INJURY TO CIVILIANS OR THEIR PROPERTY UKRAINE CLOSING CHORNOBYL Q WHAT IS THE U S REACTION TO UKRAINERS STATEMENT THAT IT WILL CLOSE THE CHORNOBYL NUCLEAR POWER PLANT BY THE END OF 1999 WILL THE U S OFFER ANY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE A WE UNDERSTAND THAT PRESIDENT KUCHMA TOLD A DELEGATION REPRESENTING THE EU AND G-7 THAT UKRAINE IS PREPARED TO CLOSE THE TWO WORKING UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 STATE 092856 150213Z REACTORS AT THE CHORNOBYL NUCLEAR POWER PLANT BY THE END OF 1999 WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT UKRAINE HAS PROPOSED A PLAN TO BUILD A REPLACEMENT GAS POWERED ELECTRICITY PLANT IN THE CHORNOBYL REGION WE ARE ENCOURAGED THAT PRESIDENT KUCHMA HAS PROPOSED A TARGET DATE TO CLOSE THE CHORNOBYL POWER PLANT WHICH WE CONSIDER UNSAFE WE RECOGNIZE THAT CHORNOBYL PROVIDES AN IMPORTANT SHARE OF UKRAINE'S ELECTRICITY AND THAT UKRAINE IS HAVING DIFFICULTIES OBTAINING SUFFICIENT ENERGY THE UNITED STATES IS WORKING CLOSELY WITH UKRAINE OUR G-7 PARTNERS THE EU AND THE INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS TO UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2009-01541_ Doc No C17551196 Date 06 19 2013 UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2009-01541 Doc No C17551196 Date 06 19 2013 IMPLEMENT THE NAPLES ACTION PIU N COMPREHENSIVE REFORM OF UKRAI14y J L'LoL'svi SECTOR THE PLAN ENVISIONS CLOSING CHORNOBYL DEVELOPMENT OF LEAST-COST ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCES AND PROMOTING ENERGY EFFICIENCY CLASSIF IED TAJIKISTAN Q A UPDATE ON FIGHTING DO YOU HAVE AN UPDATE ON THE FIGHTING IN TAJIKISTAN ACCORDING TO PRESS REPORTS FIGHTING UNCLASSIFIED BETWEEN UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 05 STATE 092856 1502132 RUSSIAN CIS BORDER GUARDS AND TAJIK OPPOSITION FORCES CONTINUED YESTERDAY ALONG THE TAJIKISTAN-AFGHANISTAN BORDER IN TAJIKISTAN'S GORNO-BADAKHSHAN PROVINCE THIS IS THE SEVENTH STRAIGHT DAY OF MILITARY CLASHES IN THAT REGION THE RUSSIAN PRESS REPORTS THAT CASUALTIES AMONG RUSSIAN AND CIS FORCES TOTAL AT LEAST 35 KILLED AND DOZENS WOUNDED THERE ARE NO RELIABLE SOURCES FOR CASUALTIES AMONG THE TAJIK OPPOSITION THOUGH SOME PRESS REPORTS LIST THEM AT OVER 100 CREDIBLE SOURCES REPORT THAT FIXED-WING AIRCRAFT STRUCK SEVERAL LOCATIONS IN NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN APRIL 12 AND 13 AMONG THE REPORTED TARGETS WAS THE TAJIK OPPOSITION'S HEADQUARTERS IN TALOQAN TAL'-UH-KHANI DETAILS OF CASUALTIES ARE SKETCHY WITH REPORTS RANGING FROM 6 TO 125 KILLED WE UNDERSTAND THAT RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES HAVE DECLINED TO COMMENT ON ALLEGATIONS THAT RUSSIAN AIRCRAFT WERE INVOLVED IN THE ATTACK Q WHAT IS THE U S VIEW OF THE RENEWED A -- FIGHTING WE DEPLORE THE RECENT ESCALATION IN VIOLENCE UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2009-01541 Doc No C17551196 Date 06 19 2013 UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2009-01541 Doc No C17551196 Date 06 19 2013 AND CALL ON ALL PARTIES FROM FURTHER MILITARY C014 iV AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO THE UN-MEDIATED PEACE TALKS THESE WE BELIEVE OFFER THE BEST HOPE UNCLASSIFIED 'UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 06 STATE 092856 1502132 TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM WE SUPPORT THE CALL BY UN SPECIAL ENVOY PIRIZ-BALLON FOR HIGH-LEVEL MEETINGS AIMED AT ENDING THE FIGHTING AND REESTABLISHING A CEASE-FIRE Q WHAT IS THE U S REACTION TO PRESIDENT YELTSINIS PLEDGE TO PROVIDE MORE AID TO HELP FIGHT THE TAJIK REBELS A -- WE URGE RUSSIA TO SUPPORT U N EFFORTS TO DEAL WITH THE TAJIK CIVIL CONFLICT THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN A STRONG SUPPORTER OF THE UN-LED TAJIKISTAN PEACE PROCESS WE ENCOURAGE IT TO CONTINUE TO FOCUS ITS EFFORTS ON INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE A POLITICAL RESOLUTION OF THE CONFLICT TALBOTT UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2009-01541 Doc No C17551196 Date 06 19 2013 UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2009-01541 Doc No C17551196 Date 06 19 2013 UNCLASSIFIED NNNN UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2009-01541 Doc No C17551196 'Date 06 19 2013 This document is from the holdings of The National 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