MOSCOW, December 20 (Itar-Tass) — Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday it will take time and systematic efforts to bring life back to normal in the North Caucasus.
“In Chechnya the situation looks better and not only because less terrorism-related crimes are committed in the republic,” he told a big news conference. “This concerns the republic’s economic development.”
“The Chechen people should get a lot of credit for taking Grozny from the ashes,” Putin said.
“As concerns problems of the North Caucasus in general, for instance, the number of terror acts in the country decreased. But these crimes are still committed claiming many lives. This is always awful, this is always a tragedy,” Putin said.
The president emphasized that not only “the improvement of law enforcers’ activity, but also social and economic development is important.”
“The unemployment rate stands at 15, 20 and 25 percent in the North Caucasus and this rate is higher among youth,” he said. “They should be given workplaces and the opportunity to study.”
“All these efforts together with boosting patriotism will yield positive results,” Putin said.