Opening Remarks at a Meeting with Religious Leaders of the Chechen Republic
March 17, 2003
The Kremlin, Moscow
Вступительное слово на встрече с духовными лидерами Чеченской Республики
17 марта 2003 года
Москва, Кремль
PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN: Esteemed friends,
You know I am regularly meeting with religious leaders, the representatives of various denominations: Christian, Muslim and others. Therefore I am especially pleased to see in the Kremlin the spiritual leaders of Chechnya and to be able to exchange with you opinions on the problems which today especially worry not only Chechnya, but also the whole North Caucasus region.
In Russia, and in the Caucasus in particular, the authority of spiritual leaders has in all times been very high. Their opinion is carefully heeded, their word is trusted.
We highly appreciate your role in the establishment of mutual understanding between the followers of the various religions, and in the promotion of stability and interethnic harmony in the North Caucasus in particular, and in Russia as a whole. And understand it was largely thanks to your position that there failed the extremists' and radicals' large-scale ideological expansion in the North Caucasus. They were never able to consolidate their hold.
Today, when terrorists are trying to use religious values for the achievement of far from moral aims, your firm position is of the utmost importance.
Obviously the problem is particularly acute in Chechnya. Here active preparations are under way for the constitutional referendum and we highly appreciate your support. It was in Chechnya that fundamentalists tried with particular vigour to organize the propaganda of their ideas. And tens of thousands of ordinary citizens both Christians and Muslims became the bandits' victims in the process.
The referendum I am firmly convinced of this and said this in my address to the Chechen people is the sole possible way to normalizing the situation in the republic. It is the most democratic way to creating a legal basis for the activity of the bodies of power.
The adoption of a Constitution and of laws on presidential and parliamentary elections will make the work on the reconstruction of the republic effective and responsible. And what is extremely important will open the way for a cultural and spiritual revival of the people of Chechnya. I want to stress that the adoption of a Constitution is not going to predetermine the results of parliamentary elections or of presidential elections. This only gives the legitimate possibility to do that in a worthy manner.
One major theme is the possibility of concluding a special treaty between the Federation and the Chechen Republic. A treaty which will have to concretize the ways of achieving broad autonomy for Chechnya as part of Russia.
You are carrying out big work on the explanation of the commandments of traditional Islam, and helping bring up children and young people on the values of humanism and morality. I believe that that work is strengthening peace and harmony in society.
In many regions of Russia they understand this, find a field for joint work with religious organizations, and support religious centres and educational institutions. We shall yet be able to speak about this today, I hope.
Another key question is the organization in the republic of a judicial system. Unfortunately, the commonly adopted attitude to a court judgment as one final and binding is currently lacking in Chechnya. Judicial practice encounters here both the contradictions in law sources and, let us say frankly, the unsatisfactory organization of the work of the courts themselves. Although, it has to be admitted, the very fact of their existence is already an achievement. The judicial system is being strengthened.
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Путин в Чечнеby gichtar195,255 views
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