Events

MINSK, 21 September (BelTA) – A delegation of Russia’s Chechen Republic headed by Ramzan Kadyrov will visit Belarus on 25 September, spokesman for the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dmitry Mironchik told a press briefing, BelTA has learned.

Ramzan Kadyrov said he was ready to come to Belarus to discuss the prospects for the development of cooperation in November last year in response to an invitation from Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko which he extended during a press conference for Russian media on 17 November.

“Dear Alexander Grigoryevich! I am very touched by your kind words about the Republic of Chechnya and the Chechen people which you said during a press conference held on Thursday in Minsk. I consider it my duty to assure you that we have the same respect to you personally, to the Republic of Belarus and the Belarusian nation! I accept the criticism of yours as of a wise, experienced politician, the leader of the country, which is friendly to Russia, and the brotherly people! It will be an honor for me to come to Minsk and meet with you at any time convenient for you,” Ramzan Kadyrov said in his Instagram account.

He also invited the Belarusian president to visit Chechnya.

Responding to a question from a Chechen journalist about setting up an investment platform for economic cooperation with the participation of Belarus in Chechnya, Alexander Lukashenko said he was ready to support such proposal and recalled that the Chechen delegation was long-expected in Minsk. “Ramzan Kadyrov was going to come here twice. The program for the visit was devised. Probably there were some circumstances that stood in the way of those visits. I think that we will meet soon, and that a Chechen delegation, like delegations from other regions, will work in Belarus and will find interesting areas for cooperation. We are ready to explore your republic too and to study your possibilities,” the Belarusian head of state said.

The president drew attention to the fact that it was time the Chechen-Belarusian cooperation were intensified. “It is time we established our relationship. We should visit Chechnya to see what goods might be in demand there. We are ready to host you here. We need to start this process. We are waiting for you. It is necessary to make the first steps,” the Belarusian leader said.