Non-public demarcation of Dagestani-Chechen border meets Kadyrov's expectations

The authorities of Chechnya have offered Dagestan to exchange equal territories of 73 hectares, said Shamil Khadulaev, a member of the Dagestani delegation to Grozny. Residents of Dagestan have no information about the process of border demarcation; while journalists and political analysts believe that the silencing policy, which Ramzan Kadyrov had insisted on, is carried out with the knowledge of the Kremlin.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on January 22, the Chairman of the Chechen Parliament, Magomed Daudov, and the Speaker of the Dagestani People's Assembly, Khizri Shikhsaidov, agreed to clarify the border between the two republics in order to enter the data into the Unified State Registry of Real Estate. The discussion took place without conflict, Shamil Khadulaev, a Dagestani activist, has stated, noting that so far the Dagestani-Chechen has not yet been fully agreed. According to his story, the Chechen authorities have offered to include the bridge on the "Kavkaz" Highway near Kizlyar and the surrounding territory into the territory of Dagestan. In return, Dagestan should hand over a similar territory to Chechnya.

Khizri Shikhsaidov, the Speaker of the Dagestani Parliament, has stated that the work of defining the border is carried out transparently; however, residents of Dagestan are unaware of the commission members, or of the details of its activities, said Gadjimurad Sagitov, the editor-in-chief of the "Novoye Delo" (New Cause).

No real transparency of fixing the border is ensured, Magomed Magomedov, a political observer of the "Chernovik" (Draft) newspaper, has confirmed. In his opinion, the absence of specific information about the process gives rise to distrust in the republic's authorities.

Alexei Malashenko, a political analyst, believes that Dagestani authorities avoid any premature statements on the border, so as not to provoke protests.