Persoverzicht Tsjetsjenië - november 2011

• 2011-12-05
• Europa in de wereld

2 november 2011

North Caucasus: (i) Two police officers were killed in an attack last night in Dagestan. Nezavisimaya Gazeta provides expert assessments of the situation in Dagestan. According to the Prosecutor General's Office, 136 attacks on law enforcement officers have been perpetrated in Dagestan in the first nine months of 2011. (ii) RBK daily reports on the planned signing today in St. Petersburg of an agreement on investment and cooperation in creating a joint venture between the 'Resorts of the Northern Caucasus' and Korean Western Power and CHT Korea in the development of the tourism cluster in the Northern Caucasus. (iii) Moskovskie Novosti cites Ingushetia's representative Vakha Yevloyev as saying that Ingushetia intends to take part in the project of the tourism cluster in the Northern Caucasus. (ITAR-TASS, MN, NG, RBK daily)

3 november 2011

Russian-South Korean summit: Media report on talks yesterday in St. Petersburg between President Dmitry Medvedev and South Korean counterpart Lee Myung-bak. Seoul expressed interest in participating in development projects in Siberia and Russia's Far East. Gazprom CEO Miller announced that Russia could start supplying gas to South Korea in 2017. South Korea's gas trader Kogas said that it would not embark on talks to strike a deal to purchase Russian gas with Gazprom, unless it gets from Gazprom full guaranties of safe transit of Russian gas via North Korea's territory. 'Resorts of the Northern Caucasus', Korea Western Power and CHT Korea signed a deal to set up a joint venture for construction of five power stations to supply electricity to the North Caucasus tourism cluster. (Kommersant, KP, RG, Vedomosti; see also economic headlines)

8 november 2011

Alpine infantry prepares for Olympic Games:A large scale Alpine warfare infrastructure is being developed along Caucasian Mountain range between the Georgian Border and Sochi Olympic site. According to Nezavisimaya report, the equipment of the new mountain troops is under personal control of Russian Prime Minister Putin. Reportedly, so far twelve billon rubles have been invested in this infrastructure. (Nezavisimaya Gazeta)

9 november 2011

New regulation on diplomatic passports proposed: According to Rossiskaya Gazeta, the new draft legislation submitted to the Duma by the President is supposed to regulate issuing diplomatic and service passports to Russian officials. The aim of this document is to narrow down the group of officials entitled to such documents and to avid instances when such passports were issued to persons from outside the official circles. (Rossiskaya Gazeta)

15 november 2011

Local gang leader killed in Dagestan; two policemen shot dead in Kabardino-Balkaria: Two militants, including the leader of a local terrorist group Magomed Dzhamayev (known as 'Muhamad'), were killed in a police operation yesterday in Kaspiysk (Dagestan). In a separate incident, two police officers were killed in an attack yesterday in Kabardino-Balkaria. (Lenta.ru, RIAN)

More than 20,000 Kosovo Serbs seek Russian citizenship: A Russian diplomat in Belgrade told the press on Monday that more than 20,000 ethnic Serbs from Kosovo have applied to the Duma with a request to help them acquire Russian citizenship. Observers warn that if Moscow supports an initiative, this could worsen Russia's relations with Serbia. (ITAR-TASS, Kommersant)

16 november 2011

Chechen poet killed in Moscow: Chechen poet and public figure Ruslan Akhtakhanov was killed late on Tuesday in Moscow. Investigators are considering several theories behind the crime. A spokesman for the Investigative Committee said that the murder was most likely a contract killing. Akhtakhanov was member of the Russian Union of Writers. (Gazeta.ru, Interfax; Ekho Moskvy)

17 november 2011

Several theories behind Chechen poet's killing: Investigators are considering several theories behind the killing late on Tuesday in Moscow of Chechen poet and public figure Ruslan Akhtakhanov. Akhtakhanov was an advocate of keeping Chechnya as an integral part of the Russian Federation. Media recall that in the 1990s, he was adviser on economic issues to Dzhokhar Dudayev and Aslan Maskhadov. An unnamed source in law enforcement agencies did not exclude that the masterminds of former army colonel Yury Budanov's killing could be involved in the murder of Akhtakhanov. (Izvestia, Kommersant, MN, NG, RG)

22 november 2011

Medvedev says Russia prevented NATO expansion in 2008: (i) Meeting military servicemen in the headquarters of the 58th army yesterday in Vladikavkaz (North Ossetia), President Dmitry Medvedev said that the operation 'to force Georgia into peace' was "absolutely necessary" and that Russia's actions in the Caucasus in August 2008 had prevented NATO expansion. In an interview with Ekho Moskvy radio, Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze said Medvedev's statement was not a surprise. (ii) Observers highlight Medvedev's statement that he is ready to consider on an individual basis the issue of pardoning military servicemen convicted of crimes. Moskovskie Novosti recalls the high-profile case of military officer Sergey Arakcheyev, who had been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for the murder of three Chechen civilians in 2003. (Kommersant, MN, NG, RG; Ekho Moskvy)

25 november 2011

Adoption of programme for North Caucasus development delayed: In a front-page article, Nezavisimaya Gazeta reports that the adoption of a federal programme for the socioeconomic development of the North Caucasus has been put off at least until May 2012. At the same time, the daily highlights the large-scale rearming of troops deployed in the region, including the 58th army. (NG)

28 november 2011

Komsomolskaya Pravda publishes an article by Alexander Igorev which addresses the spending of funds allocated by the EU to the Danish Refugee Council for projects in Chechnya.