Official website of the President of Russia

Transcripts   /

President Vladimir Putin: Good day, dear colleagues. I spent the first half of today in the Chechen Republic, in Grozny. And I would like to discuss several results of this trip with you, because a number of issues require us to react quickly and efficiently.

First of all, I would like to say that I gave state awards to relatives of the leaders of the republic who died as a result of the terrorist act of 9 May. I awarded the star of the Russian Federation to the family of Akhmat Kadyrov and the order of Courage to the widow of the head of the State Council of the Chechen Republic, Roza Isaeva. I also signed a decree to immortalize the memory of Akhmat Kadyrov.

I would like once more to express my condolences to the families of all those who died, and to the entire Chechen people, and I charge the Russian Government, together with the Government of the Chechen Republic, to do everything to help the victims. I would like especially to draw this to the attention of the Minister for health and social development. If something needs to be done to provide additional help to the doctors of Chechnya, then do it.

And, of course, I must say a few words about Akhmat Kadyrov. He was, most certainly, a unique person – of absolute integrity and honesty, and with great courage. He never made special allowances for himself. Whenever we met, and what ever we talked about, everything came down to the interests of the Chechen people. And a people with sons like these cannot help but inspire respect.

I also held a number of meetings. For example, at a meeting with the head of Government of the Chechen Republic, we discussed issues of socio-economic development and security of Chechnya. In connection with this, I charge the Prime Minister to form a group of representatives of ministries and departments of the Government of the Russian Federation, and to send this group to the Chechen Republic in the next few days to discuss issues of help for Chechnya. I think that it will be correct if this group is headed by a minister from the economic bloc, perhaps the Minister for economic development, because these are mainly all issues of a socio-economic nature.

Incidentally, we have often discussed issues of training 200–300 people from Chechnya in Russian institutes of higher education, to ensure the staff potential of the republic, which would help the formation and development of Chechnya. The acting President of the Chechen Republic – the head of Government – told me that these young people had been selected. This should be supported, so please discuss everything that needs to be done in this area in Chechnya.

We have long been studying the issue of consolidating the Interior Ministry of Chechnya. The Interior Minister of the Chechen Republic asks to hasten the decision on increasing the staff of the ministry to 1,125 people. I would ask the acting Interior Ministry of the Russian Federation and the Prime Minster to examine this issue and solve it quickly. I would ask you to report to me on the fulfilment of this by the end of the day.

I can also inform you that the leadership of Chechnya was introduced to the deputy Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Southern Federal District, who has been appointed to this additionally introduced position. He is Oleg Mikhailovich Zhidkov, and grew up in Chechnya, worked there for a long time, and in 2001–2003 was mayor of Grozny. Incidentally, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that we need to return to the restoration of Grozny in the applied sense – I ask you to remember this. I should tell you that despite the fact that something is being done there, from a helicopter it looks terrible. I understand that the first task of the government is to pay compensation to people who lost their homes, and are now returning to their places of permanent residence. This task should be solved within the time that we designated earlier. But we will not restore Grozny by paying compensations alone. We need a common plan, and concentrated work in this direction.

I also heard a report by the deputy General Prosecutor Fridinsky on the investigation of the crime committed on 9 May, and I order the heads of all law-enforcement departments to provide any assistance required to the investigative group. The criminals must be found.

I visited the commander of the united group, General Valery Petrovich Baranov, in hospital, who was seriously wounded in the May 9 terrorist act. His life is not in danger, and most importantly he is in fighting spirit. This is certainly a good thing. Incidentally, I visited the barracks of the newly stationed 46th internal troops brigade. It was quite clear that the people were not ready for my visit. I know this for certain, because the decision was made there, when I was already in Chechnya. And I must say that I was very pleased by the organization of this military station, designed at a highly professional, modern level, and its current condition. I would like to praise everyone directly involved with this, both in the Government and in the Interior Ministry.

To conclude this topic, I would like to say the following. Of course, the tragedy of 9 May is another lesson for us; it is a huge tragedy and loss for us. At the same time, no one should doubt that the basic conditions for restoring and reviving Chechnya: the law-enforcement, judicial and organizational components – are now so fundamental that no one will be able to turn things back. But the most important thing, and I stress this especially, is that today we need the support of the people in Chechnya. This is the basic condition of success in our work, and we only need to justify these hopes and help people restore their republic.