KHANKALA. July 11 (Interfax-AVN) - The Chechen authorities are capable of ensuring law in the republic is enforced, Russian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said after a Tuesday meeting with Chechen President Alu Alkhanov and Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov.
The Interior Ministry, the special services and, primarily, the Chechen government will have to do the hardest work as the authorities' drive to bring the situation in the republic back to normal nears its end, Ivanov said. The Chechen authorities "are able to independently ensure public order and the enforcement of all laws of the Russian Federation. This process is moving in the right direction," he said.
The revival of Chechnya's economy and social sector and problems facing these efforts dominated the agenda of the meeting at the headquarters of the Combined Federal Group, Ivanov said.
"Most of them are related to the fact that Chechnya has a large employable population, but these people doe not yet have jobs. In my opinion, this is one of the most acute problems," he said.
Defense Ministry's security functions in Chechnya have been clearly defined, the minister said. "The 42nd division is deployed in the republic on a permanent basis, while some special operations units perform duties as part of the federal group's joint plan," Ivanov said.
"The Defense Ministry is effectively assisting the authorities of Chechnya in rebuilding Grozny," Kadyrov said.