Russia's Chechnya negotiator condemns call for military strikes

The Russian chief negotiator with Chechnya, Ivan Rybkin, has strongly criticised recent comments by the Russian Interior Minister, Anatoly Kulikov, in which he called for military strikes against rebel bases in the breakaway republic.

Mr Rybkin said certain people in power would like to solve the Chechen question by following what he called the Bolshevik principle of striking first and thinking later.

Mr Rybkin made his remarks after a visit to the Caucasus where he met the Chechen president, Aslan Maskhadov.

Mr Kulikov's comments followed cross-border attacks last month by Chechen rebels on Russian forces in neighbouring Dagestan.

Mr Maskhadov, who has denied any Chechen involvement in the attacks, said it was time to move from the language of war to the language of diplomacy.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service.