The deputy chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture, a representative of the legislative body of the Republic of Udmurtia, the first president of the republic Alexander Volkov, has visited the studio of Vestnik Kavkaza. The senator spoke on the program Tribune about the Days of the Udmurtia Republic in the Federation Council, budgetary policy, as well as his contacts with the Caucasus.
According to him, today Udmurtia maintains contacts with all three republics of the South Caucasus at the level of regional relations. "The region has signed framework agreements with them. All horizontal communications with enterprises were preserved. I think that we are on the right track. We actively cooperate with Azerbaijan. I think we have a good future due to the policy of our President,’’ Alexander Volkov said.
The first president of Udmurtia said that the majority of his working relations are with Dagestan. "I am thankful that Ramadan Abdullatipov became vice-speaker in 1993 after the first elections to the Federation Council.
We made acquaintance at once and I became a supporter of his ideas. At that time I was a delegate of the first and the second Congress of Mountaineers, and actively participated in the International Assembly, which was led by Abdullatipov. I visited Dagestan many times. I was there more than once, when Ramadan Abdullatipov’s birthdays were celebrated. I recently visited Dagestan at Ramadan Abdullatipov’s invitation in honor of the 2000th anniversary of Derbent,’’ Alexander Volkov said.
"In the last 20 years I have often travelled to Dagestan. Thanks to Ramazan Abdulatipov, I also met with Rasul Gamzatov and sat with him at the same table. What toasts they can propose! So I am happy that I have such memories. I have always had good relations with all the presidents of the Caucasian republics I worked with and continue to work with now,’’ Alexander Volkov said.
The senator noted that there are more than 30 ethnic cultural associations in Udmurtia today. "I am glad that I managed to build a House of Friendship, where cultural and national associations are under one roof. There are many diasporas of all the South Caucasian republics in the region. I'm glad that we have never had ethnic conflicts in the republic. All people work, get married, create families, including mixed families. This is very important,’’ the deputy chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture concluded.
