16 May 2004 11:00
Russian minister promises help to Chechen graduates
Groznyy, 15 May: Acting Minister for Economic Development and Trade German Gref believes that "the time of
Interior Troops and special services in Chechnya is over; they must give way to managers, economists and
financiers".
"Everything in its own time," Gref said after a meeting between the government's working group and
Chechen government members in reply to the question as to why the federal centre has only just begun tackling the
Chechen economy.
The acting minister is confident that "it is only possible to resolve this not particularly difficult problem if
all branches of power work as a single team". "There must be no rigid hierarchy of interdepartmental division
here," he said. Gref said a special department would be set up in his ministry which would deal with the
restoration of Chechnya.
During the government experts' visit to Groznyy, the Economic Development and Trade Ministry and the Chechen
government signed an agreement on training specialists for the republic in Russia's best universities. "For
this purpose, the best universities will allocate quotas in all necessary specializations," Gref said. The best
graduates from Chechen schools will be sent to universities "after signing a contract with the republic's
government". "They will have to return to Chechnya and work there for several years," he said.
In June, people in Chechnya will be able to use mobile phones, Gref said. This project requires an additional R40m.
[Passage omitted]
[ITAR-TASS news agency] |
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