Russia Opens Talks with Chechnya: MOSCOW -- After dropping all its preconditions for talks with Chechen rebels, Russia opened negotiations today for the first time during the stalemated two-year-old war. When Russia invaded the rebellious Muslim region in 1999, President Vladimir Putin branded Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov a terrorist who would have to give himself up before the war could end. Just two months ago, Putin insisted that the Chechens must lay down arms before talks could begin. But today, an envoy of Maskhadov's, Akhmed Zakayev, flew to Moscow and met with Putin's representative, Viktor Kazantsev, for two hours. Kazantsev described the talks as "serious."