OSSETIAN PRESIDENT PUSHES PAN-CAUCASUS FORUM.

North Ossetianpresident Akhsarbek Galazov elaborated on his call–first madelast week at a Vladikavkaz conference on interethnic problems–fora general Caucasus-wide meeting on regional issues, Segodnyareported June 27. Galazov said that such a meeting should be chairedby Boris Yeltsin and should deal with disarming illegal armedunits, the repatriation of refugees, and economic reconstruction.Meanwhile, Ingush president Ruslan Aushev repeated his call fortalks with Galazov on the conflict between their two peoples.His earlier proposals had fallen on deaf ears because of the continuingtensions between the two over the Chechen war–the Ingush havesympathized with the Chechens, while the North Ossetians havebacked Moscow–and over the fate of the Prigorodny rayon whichboth republics claim.

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