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#21 - JRL 2008-106 - JRL Home
Russian president's envoy tours Chechnya
Interfax

Shatoy (Chechen Republic), 29 May: The Russian president's envoy to the Southern Federal District Vladimir Ustinov has promised to help the residents of Chechnya clear mines, search for missing people and resolve problems with federal forces' deployment.

"Before my departure, I spoke with the re-appointed commander of the North Caucasus Military District about the need to clear mines. There are not enough mine-clearing mobile groups operating in Chechnya and I will try to bring more," Ustinov said at a meeting with the residents of Shatoyskiy, Sharoyskiy and Itum-Kalinskiy Districts in the village of Pamyatoy today.

Speaking about search for missing and kidnapped people, Ustinov said "each case should be treated individually". "We will do everything possible to find missing people," he said.

The possibility of a withdrawal of a federal unit from the Agrunskiy national park was also raised at the meeting.

One of the residents of a village situated near the Russian-Georgian border also told the envoy that local people have problems with federal forces' deployment in the area.

"This causes inconvenience to local people. Besides, historical and architectural monuments which survived the period of military actions have practically been totally destroyed. I am pleading with you to help withdraw the military outside the village," he said.

"All questions raised will be reported back to the country's leaders and relevant structures, and resolved in due course," Ustinov replied.

In his tour of Chechnya, the president's envoy to the Southern Federal District is accompanied by Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov and other officials.

"The main aim of my trip is to familiarize myself with problems facing local people and find ways to resolve them," Ustinov said at the meeting with local people.

He noted that some important questions are resolved on the spot. "Problems which require time will be resolved upon my return," the envoy said.

Ustinov said the republic's main problem is "bad roads, which must be repaired".

At the same time the envoy noted Kadyrov's efforts in the restoration of Chechnya. "It's my second day in the republic and I see that a lot has been done in many areas of the republic's life and this is obvious. The Chechen people are very hard working and if we work together I think we will resolve all tasks and problems," Ustinov said.