Official website of the President of Russia

Transcripts   /

President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev: Mr Kadyrov, almost ten years ago now, on June 12, 2000, the President of Russia signed Executive Order 1100, appointing Akhmat-haji Kadyrov first president of the Republic of Chechnya. We just visited the grave of the first president, your father.

I feel very mixed emotions at this moment. It is sad that he is not with us today, but at the same time, I am sure that if he could be with us and see today’s Chechnya from a helicopter, as we just have, he would be very pleased with what is happening.

What is happening is not simply that the republic is being rebuilt, but that it is living a new life now. We can see this in the new homes, new social facilities and new production sites, with all works progressing very rapidly and being of a good level and quality.

This is certainly very important, but what is perhaps of prime importance is that everyone in Chechnya, Chechens and other ethnic groups, have all waited so long for normal life, and it has at last returned.

I think this is possibly the greatest memorial of all to Akhmat-haji Kadyrov, who more than anything dreamed of happiness for his people, a peaceful sky above, and our life together within the Russian Federation, and I am sure that he would not be disappointed to see how the republic is developing today.

President of Chechnya Ramzan KADYROV: Mr President, thank you for finding the time to come here.

Russia celebrates June 12 as a holiday – Russia Day. This is a historic day for us as it was on this day that our first president, the head of the Republic of Chechnya’s government, was appointed, and ten years have passed since our executive power system was established.

We are striving to complete the undertakings begun by our first president and the country’s leadership, and we are trying to carry out his testament to the fullest. It was his will that we serve our people and the Russian Federation in the way we ought.

It is therefore of a very special significance for us that it was today you visited our first president’s grave and paid tribute to him and to the entire Chechen people.

We hope to succeed in completing what we began establishing ten years ago now – order, stability, peace and harmony. We have everything we need to succeed in this endeavour and we direct our efforts to this task every day. In the Chechen Republic we now see the rule of law, of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and the Constitution of the Republic of Chechnya, and this is thanks to the country’s leadership and our first president.

Once again, thank you for coming here and paying respectful tribute to our first president and the entire Chechen people.

<…>