BOTLIKH. Sept 12 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has met with the militia who fought in Dagestan in August-September 1999.
"I want to welcome you from the heart and thank you for your invitation. You invited me live on air, and I was happy to come," Putin said.
The village is now marking a tragic, but glorious from the point of view of its results, anniversary of the fighting of the militia 20 years ago, he said. The people of Dagestan then stood in the way of international terrorist groups along with the Russian Armed Forces and "defended not only their native Dagestan, their village, but essentially set an example to the whole country, showing what it means when people unite in the face of a common danger," he said.
"It has always been like that in the history of our peoples: the people of Russia and the peoples of the Caucasus, and courage, will, and love of one's native land have always been especially valued in the Caucasus," Putin said, adding that the militia showed all these qualities at a critical moment in Botlikh.
People always show their best qualities in critical situations, he said. "When such a situation arose here, you showed what you can do, what our country can do; you set a very good example. Thank you very much," he said.
Putin said it is difficult to congratulate the militia on this date because there were many losses. Nevertheless, he said that by remembering it he wanted to give his due to the people's heroism and courage.
The president said he had visited a memorial to the people of the Botlikh district who were killed in action in the Great Patriotic war, in Afghanistan in August-September 1999 and in other local wars located in the village. "By the way, the memorial is wonderful. A memorial like that could decorate the square of any Russian or European capital," he said. Putin wished the residents of Botlikh all the best.
Putin also said in a meeting with the militia that the position taken by the people of Dagestan 20 years ago to fight to Wahhabis who attacked the republic was of great importance.
"It's worth a great deal that you, men and women, even children, took part; it was important not only to Dagestan, to these tough people and natures, it was important to the whole of Russia to show those international gangs that the people were not with them. That was the main thing you did," he said.
"A lot of special things remain to be done [...] They [terrorists] came under the banner of Islam. Two thousand mosques have been built in Dagestan. They would never have built so many, they can only kill," Putin said.
Having delivered his welcoming address and spoken about the events of the past few days, the president finished his speech, taking a shot glass and drinking it dry.
Putin promised to visit Dagestan, and, in particular, Botlikh, during his Q&A session in June. A resident of Botlikh, who had participated in those events, asked the president at the time to ensure the adoption of legislation to make militia who were the first to repel terrorists equal in status to war veterans.
The main celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the terrorists' defeat are scheduled to be held in Dagestan on September 15.