TATARSTAN PRESIDENT PROPOSES NEW MOSCOW-CHECHNYA TREATY.

During a joint session of the Presidium of the Russian State Council and the Presidential Commission on Delimiting Powers Among the Federal Organs of State Power, the Organs of State Power of the Subjects of the Federation, and Local Self-Government, President Mintimer Shaimiev of Tatarstan proposed that a new treaty be concluded between the Russian federal center and Chechnya. “When a people or a republic is on its knees,” Shaimiev said, “one may elect not to speak with it. But we want to construct a civilized democratic federation. It is for the sake of that that we are preserving the integrity of the Russian Federation. We must propose to the people of Chechnya conditions for negotiations.” The online daily NTV.ru noted that Shaimiev was “the main opponent of revoking the treaty system” between the federal center and the autonomous republics and other subjects of the federation in Russia. Shaimiev affirmed that the current treaty delimiting powers between Moscow and Tatarstan is “forever.” The chairman of the Council of Federation, Egor Stroev, stated at the joint session that he “is categorically against the opinion of Shaimiev.” Similarly, in his opening address to the joint session, President Putin underscored his opinion that a majority of the treaties concluded between the center and the federation subjects “do not work” (NTV.ru, July 17).