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Terrorist activity declines in North Caucasus - envoy

The North Caucasus is a platform for the settlement of many geopolitical issues

PYATIGORSK, June 14 (Itar-Tass) — Terrorist activity has sizably declined in Russia’s North Caucasus and the number of terrorist victims has reduced, Russian president’s envoy to the North Caucasian Federal District Alexander Khloponin said at a meeting with regional reporters in Pyatigorsk on Thursday.

“The North Caucasus is a platform for the settlement of many geopolitical issues. It neighbors the Middle East and Trans-Caucasia with processes that are underway there,” Khloponin said. “We have information that militants are financed to a certain extent from abroad, but not more than 20 to 30 million dollars a year. At the same time the illicit money turnover in the North Caucasus is much higher – seven million dollars only on illicit reimbursement,” said Khlopinin, who is also Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister.

According to him, the North Caucasus witnesses redistribution of property and the market. “Other regions have already gone through that in their time,” he noted. He stressed that the region sees a huge flow of uncontrolled finance.

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