DIHR chief's view of RF's response to dissent rallies strange-FM.

MOSCOW, October 2 (Itar-Tass) -- The Russian Foreign Ministry "shares the assessment made by the director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), Janez Lenarcic, who believes that Russia has created a solid legal framework to promote human rights."

At
the same time Moscow "feels surprise over his speculations about the
allegedly inadequate and harsh response of the authorities to unauthorized
rallies and marches in Russian cities," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman
Andrei Nesterenko said in the wake of Lenarcic's interview to a Russian
media.
Nesterenko said that "in all countries of the world human rights and
freedoms are realized in practice within clearly established legal
boundaries - on the basis and within the framework of national
legislation."
"This is stipulated by relevant international instruments, including
OSCE commitments," he pointed out. "If the applicable legislation is
violated, the task of law enforcement agencies is to respond immediately."
Nesterenko believes "one cannot blame the authorities for
unpreparedness to register this or that application for massive street
actions in situations where a similar request for the same time and place
has been received from another group of citizens, or when such an event
would lead to serious negative consequences for the safety of other people
or block the flow of traffic."
"A responsible and truly democratic state must ensure the maintenance
of order, and to effectively and fully implement a variety of functions,
including police functions," the diplomat said.
"Unsanctioned street events occur in many countries from time to time.
And the reaction to this by the government is the same everywhere. Because
law is law and it must be observed," the diplomat said. "But there has
been very little evidence, if any, ODIHR has issued any comments on the
security forces' response to similar phenomena in the U.S. or other OSCE
member-states."
"Such 'selectivity' in assessing events happening in different parts
of the vast space of the OSCE, and in processing the relevant information
available, is unfortunately characteristic of the ODIHR, and it has been
so for a long time," said Nesterenko. "We have said so in public many
times."
As far as statements about 'restrictions' on the number of observers
from the ODIHR at elections in Russia are concerned, "In order to overcome
the numerous controversies related to the ODIHR's monitoring of activities
in the electoral sphere the Russian side has proposed to collectively
develop and adopt appropriate rules. These rules remain on the negotiating
table. As long as there are no such rules, unfortunately, we cannot say
that the work of the ODIHR relies on a sound collective and completely
impartial basis."
Nesterenko recalled President Dmitry Medvedev's statement at the World
Policy Forum in Yaroslavl, where he said that jointly produced standards
of democracy "can not be dual, let alone cunning." We must act in a way
that would cause no reasons for states to "fear that they (standards) will
be used for limiting sovereignty or for interference in internal affairs.
Or as a demagogic device - to exert pressures for the sake of catering to
the economic or geopolitical interests of individual countries."

.Cyprus settlement clue to Athens-Ankara normalization - Greek pres.

NICOSIA, October 2 (Itar-Tass) -- Relations between Athens and Ankara
can be fully normalized only if and when a Cyprus settlement has been
achieved, Greek President Karolos Papoulias said at a gala concert on
Friday dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Republic of Cyprus.
The Greek president confirmed Athens' full support for the president
of Cyprus, Dimitris Christofias, in his efforts and initiatives to achieve
a just, viable and effective solution of the Cyprus problem based on UN
Security Council resolutions and EU principles and values. He recalled
that Nicosia remained the only divided capital in Europe, stressing that
this fact was a constant reminder of the impermissibility of the
international community's connivance with violations of international law
and of human rights.
"We call on Turkey to show genuine political will to achieve a
settlement," said Papoulias. "Turkey has the strength to break the
deadlock (over the negotiating process for the sake of a peaceful solution
to the Cyprus problem). It is only on this condition that Greek-Turkish
relations will be fully normalized, and Ankara will ease its task of
joining the EU. I firmly believe that such a solution can be achieved. The
Greek Cypriots and Greece have long been ready for it."
Cyprus has been divided along ethnic lines since 1974 after an armed
invasion by Turkey, provoked by a coup of supporters of joining Greece.
Ankara has occupied 37 percent of the territory, where in 1983 the Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus was proclaimed. It has not been recognized by
a single country of the world, except Turkey, which, in turn, has so far
refused to recognize the Republic of Cyprus. Since September 2008 direct
intercommunal talks have continued on the island on a Cyprus settlement
with the aim to find a peaceful solution to the problem and the
reunification of the country.

-0-str