Russia Starts Political Settlement Progress in Chechnya

The Kremlin spokesman Sergei Yastrzhembsky said Wednesday that the political phase of Russia's anti-terrorist campaign in the breakaway republic of Chechnya had started since Russian troops Tuesday liberated the town of Shatoi, some 60 km south of the Chechen capital of Grozny.

Shatoi, located in the center of the Argun gorge at the foothills of south Chechen mountains, was the last fortress held by the rebel remnants after they escaped from Grozny into the mountains in late February.

The Russian Security Council (the top security policy agency of the country) decided to launch the political progress in Chechnya at its latest session, said the Russian presidential aide, noting that the previous military phase "could only be a precondition for the political resolution to the Chechen issue, which is the most important goal."

The political phase is aimed to restore peaceful life, administration system and the constitutional order in Chechnya, he said.

"There are different ways to solve this problem, but the problem of restoring the economy, the normal social sphere and political governance in Chechnya cannot be solved without relying on those people who command respect among the Chechen population," he stressed.

Now many dignified and respected Chechen people have been actively cooperating with the provisional administration and federal troops on the level of regional and local government," he said.

Russia began its military offensive against the Chechen separatists in last September after their invasion into neighboring republic of Dagestan and a series of apartment blasts in Moscow and other two Russian cities, which claimed over 300 people. After five-month hard and bloody fighting, Russia has liberated 99 percent of Chechen territories and nearly all population of the province.

Tuesday, the Russian military announced that its full-scale military operation in Chechnya was over after the federal troops took full control of the town of Shatoi and it will withdraw most of its nearly 100,000-soldier combating units out of the province very soon but keep 25,000 permanent troops there.

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