Chechen leader hails lifting of counterterrorism operation
Interfax
Groznyy, 16 April: Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov has welcomed the lifting of the counterterrorism operation [in Chechnya].
"We received the news about cancelling the counterterrorism operation with great satisfaction," Kadyrov told Interfax.
"The most important thing is that the lifting of the operation has been dictated by the fulfilment of the tasks to fight terrorism that were set 10 years ago," he said.
"Now the Chechen Republic - as thousands of guests acknowledge, including politicians, businessmen, journalists and cultural figures that visit the region - is a peaceful, developing territory, and cancelling the counterterrorism operation will only promote economic growth in the republic," Kadyrov said.
In his view, "the decision today will also be received with great satisfaction by numerous businesspeople in the countries of Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Asia who have recently expressed an interest in Chechnya and want to make considerable investments in its economy but showed some caution because of the current limitations related to the counterterrorism operation".
"We indeed hoped that, when the issue was considered, both the interests of the republic and the country as a whole would be taken into account. We started from the principle that a thriving, peaceful Chechnya would be a factor in the stability of the south of the country as a whole. And it is pleasing that our expectations have been justified," Kadyrov said.
He said that "without waiting for the decision to be taken, a customs post has been built at a rapid pace and a number of measures have been undertaken to give the airport international status".
"The most important thing is that drawing a line under the counterterrorism operation has enormous moral and psychological significance. The leadership of Russia has officially confirmed the fact that the nest of terrorism has been crushed, that illegal armed groups have been neutralized, and militant leaders on whose conscience lay the grief and suffering of thousands of people have been destroyed, detained and brought to court," Kadyrov said.
He also hopes that today's decision "will facilitate the return home of those who left Russia in various years of the operation".
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