The first meeting of the Russian Security Council under its new head, former Interior Minister Vladimir Rushailo, took place in the Kremlin on Thursday. Upon President Putin's order, the priority issue for discussion was the restoration of Chechnya. Putin himself said the key principle of restoration should be to "restore only what we are able to safeguard."

President Putin opened Thursday's meeting of the Security Council by formerly introducing the former Chairman of the Council, Sergei Ivanov in his new capacity as the Minister of Defense and Vladimir Rushailo, until Wednesday the Minister of the Interior, as Ivanov's replacement.

The Council resolved that, "The restoration of the social sphere of Chechnya must become the most important component of the counter-terrorist operation." However, the Security Council considers that the approach must be rational, i.e. the federal government will not make any significant investments into anything that could potentially be destroyed and that enterprises capable of making significant contributions to the budget should be the priority recipients of the federal restoration funds. This obviously includes the republic's oil industry, all the more so that over the past four months the industry has earned some $7.2 million from the sale of over 80 thousand tones of oil.

However, increasing the output of Chechen oil is being hindered by rebel attacks and the continued theft of oil. "The damages incurred by this branch of industry are comparable to the (total) sum of the federal program for the restoration of the Chechen economy," President Putin emphasized. Putin then demanded that the so-called power structures insure the safety of the oil industry in the republic and curtail "the illegal activities of the (Russian) military in the sphere of the oil business."

President Putin demanded that the government apply the strictest controls over the allocation of money to Chechnya.

Putin also mentioned that he expects help from the Chechen communities outside the republic to assist with the restoration of the republic. "Delaying tactics will not be to their advantage. The Chechen people value the contribution of everyone," Putin claimed.

The Security Council also resolved that the return of Chechen refugees from Ingushetia is a priority task.

The chief of the Security Council's department for security issues in the North Caucasus, Vladimir Silinsky said, "It's high time to return the refugees from Ingushetia. They are already confronted with the problem that their hosts are fed up with them." The head of the Chechen Civil Administration Akhmad Kadyrov promised that this summer some 50 thousand refugees would be returned to the republic.

The federal government has been charged with guaranteeing electricity, gas,
water, pensions and welfare payments for Chechnya. "The Chechen) people must feel the delights of peace. As to which side the (Chechen) population will support depends on the success of the anti-terrorist operation and Russia's international authority," said General Silinsky.

The federal center also intends to win the support of the Chechen population by other means: Henceforth the Security Council "will see to it that the military no longer carries out unfounded clean up operations - (Clean up operations will be conducted) only with a prosecutor and the head of the local administration present." Unsurprisingly the military are against the measure.

All the same, the Security Council understands that "mild clean up operations," gas, water and pensions will not be enough to win the support of the Chechen population. Therefore, the most important component of the restoration process will remain propaganda. Television and radio broadcasts are to be restored to the whole of the republic to inform "the republic's inhabitants of the progress of the reconstruction works."

Gazeta.Ru