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Posted on 11/18/2001 12:50:04 AM PST by Pericles

Sunday November 18 4:16 AM ET

Chechen Envoy Flies to Moscow for First Talks

MOSCOW (Reuters) - An envoy of Chechen rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov flew to Moscow on Sunday for the first official talks with a Kremlin representative since Russia launched the second Chechen war in 1999.

Akhmed Zakayev, deputy prime minister in Maskhadov's rebel government, said in a statement he would meet Viktor Kazantsev, President Vladimir Putin's envoy to southern Russia.

Putin proposed holding talks on September 24, an apparent reversal after refusing to negotiate with the rebels during two years of war, although the Kremlin has tried to play down the suggestion its position has changed.

``As is well known, the President of the Chechen Republic Ichkeriya, Aslan Maskhadov, supported the initiative of V. Putin and with his order, has authorized me to open dialogue with the Russian side,'' Zakayev said in his statement faxed to Reuters.

Zakayev said Russia had refused to include mediators at the talks, but that the Chechen side would be working with the ''active participation'' of Turkey.

He did not make clear in his statement where he was flying from, but he said he was accompanied by the chairman of Turkey's Liberal Democratic Party, and Russian news agencies concluded they flew from Istanbul.

Russia had hitherto resisted any talks with Maskhadov, who was elected Chechnya's president with Moscow's blessing in 1997, but is now wanted on charges of leading an armed insurrection.

Kazantsev has said since September 24 that he would hold talks with Zakayev, but the only issue for discussion is rebel disarmament.

The Kremlin did not immediately comment on Zakayev's statement. Interfax news agency quoted Russian sources as saying the meeting would take place on Sunday.

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