The World Congress of Chechen People, due to begin in Warsaw on Thrusday, will further aggravate the volatile situation in Russia's North Caucasus, the Russian foreign minister said on Wednesday.
"We warn our European partners that representatives of the so-called Republic of Ichkeria [the name Chechen separatists give to Chechnya] are trying to organize events, which... aim to aggravate the situation in the North Caucasus," Sergey Lavrov said.
"According to our information, a number of those expected to take part in the congress are on international wanted lists," he added. "We hope that our Polish partners are taking this into account."
Polish police said earlier on Wednesday that the prime minister of the unrecognized republic of Ichkeria, Akhmed Zakayev, would be arrested if he enters Polish territory to attend the congress.
In 2002, British authorities granted political asylum to Zakayev and he currently lives in London.
Russia, which issued an international arrest warrant for Zakayev in 2001, has accused him of terrorist activities and repeatedly asked Britain to extradite him, but the request has invariably been refused.
MURMANSK, September 15 (RIA Novosti)