KOLEROV: RUSSIA ACTS ON THE BASIS OF THE LAW ON COMPATRIOTS

DeFacto, Armenia
Sept 16 2005

The choice of each unrecognized state is to appeal to Russia or
minimize its participation in the conflict settlement. Chief of the RF
Presidential Department for Inter-Regional and Cultural Relations with
Foreign Countries Modest Kolerov stated it speaking at the conference
“Parallel CIS. Abkhazia, Pridnestrovie, the South Caucasus and Nagorno
Karabakh as realities of the post – Soviet territory”.

In his words, “40 000 of Russian citizens in the South Ossetia, 150
000 in Abkhazia is the imperative we cannot ignore”. “Both sides of the
conflict are compatriots for us, we should take it into consideration
and guarantee their humanitarian rights”, noted he.

According to Modest Kolerov, modern conception of human rights submits
such claims, including the right to free choice of citizenship, free
access to communications, the right to information, the right to free
choice of educational and cultural activity. “These are fundamental
rights”, stated Kolerov.