62081    It is as if the U.S. has turned a blind eye to the Chechen people's desire to break away from Russia as well as the criminal nature of the invasion that has produced a considerable number of noncombatant victims.

62082    When comparing these two cases, it is obvious that there is a major inconsistency in the way the U.S. plays against Russia between the issues of Eastern Europe and Chechnya.

62083    We cannot help but question where the U.S. policy toward Moscow is rooted or if there is any consistency there.

62084    Russia is still in a transition period after getting rid of totalitarianism not too long ago, and President Clinton has a point when he said that it would be ill-advised for the West to over-react to Russia's internal change every time that occurs.

62085    It is also true that the alliance with Russia is essential for the tasks on a global scale such as the ratification and implementation of the already agreed-upon Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (SART) and securing the consolidation of nuclear management.

62086    However, we want to recall what the West German Chancellor Schmidt, who deployed a daring Eastern Policy against the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe during the Cold War, said.

62087    The most important thing in diplomacy is that it is consistent and possible to calculate.

62088    In other words, one has to adhere to the basic rule that the other party should be able to anticipate the limit of "concessions to be available to the suggested point but no further."

62089    In light of Mr. Schmidt's statement and looking back on the relationship between the West and Russia after the end of the Cold War, the basic principle must have been the "sharing of democratic values."

62090    Russia will accept the value system comparable to that of the West including the respect for basic human rights, recognition of political pluralism, and free economic enterprise based on the market principle as the foundation of the new country.

62091    Contingent on the foregoing, it was agreed that the West would provide assistance to Russia's rebirth.

62092    However, as pointed out before, the Yeltsin administration has deviated from its original idea of promoting democracy and reform to adopt increasingly anti-democratic, iron-fisted closed-door policies.

62093    The Russian invasion of Chechnya trampled on the "peaceful resolution of conflicts" and "respect for the rights of ethnic minorities" advocated in the Charter of Paris of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, which should be described as the fundamental law to define international relations on the European continent after the Cold War, and has an element that cannot be dismissed as an internal matter.

62094    Including Japan, the source of assistance from the West to Russia is taxpayers' money.

62095    Continuing support for a government that is busy with its own agenda of clinging to power and reckless military adventures, while paying no attention to democratization and economic reform, is against the will of the people of the supporting nations.