Norway says Western journalists give false image of situation in Chechnya

The Norwegian information center for refugees states says that Western journalists give false information on the situation in Chechnya, ITAR-TASS reports.

A Norwegian delegation visited Chechnya and expressed astonishment with the standards of living. The group was supervised by a senior consultant of the information center, Marit Mageli.

At a meeting with Zelimkhan Jamaldinov, Chechen Deputy Minister for Foreign Links, National Policy, Press and Information, the Norwegian official noted that the real state of affairs in Chechnya differs from descriptions Western journalists give. She added that the delegation had not expected such prosperous cities, high-quality roads and a smiling population.

Mageli also underlined that the number of Chechen refugees in Norway drops sufficiently every year. It is obviously a result of great socio-economic success in the Chechen region in the last years, she says.

The Norwegian guests met met officials of the Directorate of the Russian Federal Migration Service in Chechnya and activists of local public organizations.