Warsaw/Agency Caucasus – Ahmed Zakayev, Prime Minister of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, expressed his hope that Dimitri Medvedev as successor to Russian President Vladimir Putin would change the policies on Chechnya.
"If Medvedev really takes office as president, he will change Russia’s attitude both towards Chechnya and the West," Zakayev told Poland’s state radio channel on December 12.
"I certainly believe that whatever exists in Chechnya now will change. I have serious doubts that Medvedev will favor a Chechnya where bandits can grow under the leadership of Ramzan Kadyrov–a heritage of Putin’s administration. ÖZ/FT
