Brussels, 2 February 2004. Jens-Peter Bonde, President of the Europe of Differences Group (Denmark), Emma Bonino, former European Commissioner (Radical, Italy), Daniel Cohn-Bendit, Co-president of the Green Group (France), Gerard Collins, former Foreign Minister (UEN, Ireland), Ciriaco De Mita, former Prime Minister (PPE-DE, Italy), Monica Frassoni, Co-president of the Green Group (Belgique), Renzo Imbeni, Vice-president of the European Parliament (PSE, Italy), David Martin, Vice-president of the European Parliament (PSE, United Kingdom), Gérard Onesta, Vice-president of the European Parliament (Greens, France), Doris Pack, President of the Delegation for Relations with the countries of south-east Europe (PPE-DE, Germany), Michel Rocard, former French Prime Minister (PSE, France), Ursula Schleicher, President of the Delegation for relations with the countries of the south Caucasus (PPE, Germany), Bart Staes, President of the EU-Russia parliamentary co-operation Committee (Greens, Belgium), Walter Veltroni, Mayor of Rome (PSE, Italy), Graham R. Watson, President of the Liberal Group (United Kingdom), and 130 other MEPs from all the groups and all the member countries have expressed their support for the Peace Plan presented by the Maskhadov government, which proposes the establishment of an interim UN administration in Chechnya, the withdrawal of all Russian military and civilian forces and the disarmament of the forces of the Chechen resistance.

OLIVIER DUPUIS REACHES THE 15TH DAY OF HIS HUNGER STRIKE

On 18 January the MEP Olivier Dupuis, a member of the Transnational Radical Party, began a hunger strike to urge the authorities of the European Union and of the member States to address the question of the Chechen genocide from a political and humanitarian point of view. Olivier Dupuis also invites Europe to support the Peace Plan presented by the Maskhadov government for an interim United Nations administration in Chechnya, to welcome wounded Chechen children into hospitals around the EU, and to draw up a "white list" to guarantee freedom of residence and circulation throughout the territory of the EU to the members of the government of President Maskhadov.