Interview by Oleg Kusov exclusively for Vestnik Kavkaza
The leader of Ingushetia has become the first head of the North Caucasus Region to visit Vestnik Kavkaza. Yevkurov has reaffirmed his reputation as the most communicable politician in such a complicated region as the Caucasus. Perhaps Yevkurov’s openness is the basis of many positive moments in Ingushetia. All Ingushetia's inhabitants know his cellphone number that they can use to complain about functionaries or ask for advice. Farmers, according to the republican program, will have guaranteed access to the Ingush authorities to solve their problems. The Caucasus values businesslike and accessible authorities, not corrupt and closed ones. Hence the respect for the leader of Ingushetia in the North Caucasus, despite the complicated interethnic differences Ossetians and Ingushetians have experienced from radicals who caused tensions between the two peoples. The Ingush leader’s plans to normalize the internal situation in Ingushetia and around it have good chances of success, because it seems that Yevkurov has managed to form a team of like-minded people. The facts indicate that he knows how to solve various problems.
Continuation
- How relevant is the issue of tourism development for Ingushetia in the North Caucasus?
- It is impossible to develop tourism in a given republic without developing the general logistics of the North Caucasus region. Yes, there are well-established, traditional tourist routes and destinations in the North Caucasus. For example, Mineralnye Vody if you look at the Stavropol Territory, Elbrus, Kabardino-Balkaria, Dombay, Karachay-Cherkessia. These are well-known tourist destinations, complexes remaining from the Soviet era. In other regions, including Ingushetia, tourism was not as developed.
We have to represent Ingushetia and the Caucasus with the help of the tourists who come here and enjoy it, communicate with people. I read today on the internet about a young man from Penza who cycled across Russia. He had very interesting descriptions, particularly about the Ingush police and residents. I was pleased when he called policemen friendly and wrote that people invited him in, fed him and hosted him during the night. He highlighted Ingushetia.
I know that he talks about it at home, everywhere and will convince a lot of people that the Ingush people are pleasant and nice. I want to sincerely thank him for what he saw, and to thank even more the Ingush people who helped to improve the image of the republic and the people in the eyes of this man who is now spreading his opinion everywhere.
We are working on a program about having consultations with taxi drivers as part of the development of the tourist cluster, because taxi drivers are one of the major sources of information for any visitor.
- They are the first ones to greet them.
- The way taxi drivers tell stories about the republic influences the perception of the republic by tourists. When taxi drivers tell good things about their people and their traditions, guests will leave thinking that even taxi drivers know so many things. But today there are financial difficulties. Three major projects were selected and the Ingush project is second or third on the waiting list but we continue working. And we've accomplished significant things. We have a pretty good infrastructure developed in the Dzheyrakhsky District, including pools, ski slopes, pistes for extreme sports, etc. We have held championships there and all kinds of competitions. We are building the potential. Tourism is very popular in the Caucasus generally and in Ingushetia in particular.
- I'd like to go back to the sad events of 1999, when in June 1999 you led a battalion of paratroopers which occupied Pristina airfield. Do you think it could have been the start of World War III?
- Everyone was thinking that some paratroopers were to land in Kosovo with parachutes and that an entire division would be landed at the airport that we had captured. Europe would not get involved in it, I doubt it would want to deal with our nuclear weapons. I must admit that our army at the time was not in its prime, except for morale - this is something that is always with us - but our arms and equipment were in a deplorable state. NATO also knew about the state of our armed forces and blackmailed our leadership, but nevertheless, we had a nuclear shield. And hardly anyone would want to mess with us. Perhaps there could have been a different situation currently in the Balkans, maybe there would have been no Yugoslav conflict, if everything happened the way it had been planned to happen.
However, a different decision was taken and it is not up to us to think about why things went this way. As a result, NATO troops under the guise of peacekeeping forces entered that territory.
- Thank you! Today our guest was the head of the Republic of Ingushetia, Yunus-bek Yevkurov. Until next time!
- Thank you! Good luck to you! Good luck to us all! Good luck to our great Russia! Good luck to our beloved Caucasus!
