Alu Alkhanov reiterated his agreement to sit at the negotiation table with those who want peace in Chechnya, who want to leave in peace with the nation.
He also reported his intention to continue the policy pursued by his precursor Akhmad Kadyrov (killed by terrorists on May 9 this year), which recovered for normal life 5,000-6,000 former militants, many of whom are serving in the Chechen Republic's army and interior forces.
Asked about the probability of coming across those, who maintain secret links with separatist gangs, among these people, Alkhanov noted: "It is not that any person can be given a job in the Chechen police. Such people are selected and checked by the secret services of Russia and Chechnya."
Alkhanov made an assumption that the most notorious separatist leaders Shamil Basaev and Aslan Maskhadov are on the territory of Chechnya today. He also admitted he could not deny facts of the movement of separatists across Chechnya and neighbouring republics. Search for them is underway all over the country, including in the mountains of Chechnya, he added.
The backbone of the rebels consists of some 600-900 people, most of whom are of Chechen origin, said the president.
Alu Alkhanov, as he put it, was surprised at the position of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on the presidential elections in the Chechen republic.
"Listening to European MPs, one can get the impression that Maskhadov who unleashed a war on the territory of Chechnya is legitimate while Alkhanov who has won a fair victory during the recent polls is not legitimate," said Alkhanov.
One of the three resolutions on Chechnya, adopted at the PACE session Thursday, remarks that the presidential elections in Chechnya were marked by digression from democratic norms. When passing this resolution, the session turned down the Russian side's amendment calling for the recognition of Alkhanov's legitimate appointment.
"One would like to know what could have brought about such wording which virtually tramples upon the choice of the Chechen people," said Alkhanov.
He added that such conclusions can be made only by those who are present at elections and follow the voting PACE had decided against dispatching its observers to Chechnya.
