GERMANY SAYS FEDERAL ACTIONS UNACCEPTABLE.

On June 7, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer criticized the behavior of Russia’s armed forces in Chechnya as “unacceptable.” In a news conference devoted to the German government’s annual report on human rights, Fischer said that the situation in Chechnya “continues to raise great concerns.” He said that what he called the “unacceptable actions” of Russian troops against civilians must be halted. Finding a political solution for Chechnya, he added, was of “crucial importance” for Russian democracy (RFERL, June 7).