CHECHEN TALKS BREAK FOR CONSULTATIONS.

On July 16, theGrozny peace talks recessed for three days to allow the delegationsfor each side to consult with their governments. The Russian delegationreturned to Moscow, and the Chechen side went to see Chechen presidentDzhokhar Dudayev, Russian agencies reported. Interfax reportedJuly 15 that the two sides had agreed on 18 items in a four-pagedraft agreement, but the news service reported that the Russianside had introduced a new document and that the key question ofthe status of Chechnya had not yet been resolved. Meanwhile, thecease-fire between the two sides continued to hold, with onlysporadic violations reported over the weekend. But conditionsare still bad enough that 2,500 Chechen refugees have refusedto return to their home, Russian radio reported July 14. In oneimportant concession, the Russian authorities have decided toallow Chechen officials to visit the notorious filtration campswhere Russian interior troops have sought to identify Chechenrebels, Interfax reported July 16. But again over the weekend,there was no news of the fate of Fred Cuny, the American aid workerwho has been missing in the region since April 9.

Russian Foreign Ministry: Oil Could Flow Through Third Countries.