Andrey Baklanov, a Russian scholar of Oriental studies, deputy head of the Council of the Association of Russian Diplomats, an extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador, has visited Vestnik Kavkaza today and gave details about Chechen President Akhmat-Haji Kadyrov’s visit to Riyadh in January 2004.
Baklanov was the Russian ambassador to Saudi Arabia at that time (appointed in 2000) and took an active part in organizing the negotiations. He noted that the idea of holding the meeting had appeared in September 2003 during the visit to Moscow of King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, who was still a prince back then.
Russian diplomats were actively elaborating its position in Chechnya. Baklanov noted that the prince had agreed to establish direct communication. The diplomat himself met with the king in late 2003 and initiated the practical side of the contacts. The king expressed willingness to meet with the Chechen president. Baklanov added that Kadyrov’s knowledge of Arabic had a very significant role in gaining trust. Meetings were held with top intellectuals of the country at millionaire El Hadji’s resident in Jeddah. The Russian delegation moved to Riyadh afterwards and met with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Saud Al Faisal and other officials. One of Al Faisal’s questions was why had the extremists taken the initiative to make changes in Chechnya. Kadyrov, according to Baklanov, had replied that people had been hoping for reformations before realizing the fall towards separatism and schism. Kadyrov’s visit was a breakthrough in relations between Saudi Arabia and Russia, with Saudi Arabia agreeing to progress in developing trade and economic ties. The visit became an element of normalization of relations with Russia.
Baklanov added that the efforts to form a regular political dialogue between the two countries before the talks in January 2004 had been unsuccessful.
Andrey Baklanov, a Russian scholar of Oriental studies, deputy head of the Council of the Association of Russian Diplomats, an extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador, has visited Vestnik Kavkaza today and gave details about Chechen President Akhmat-Haji Kadyrov’s visit to Riyadh in January 2004. Baklanov was the Russian ambassador to Saudi Arabia at that moment (appointed in 2000) and took an active part in organizing the negotiations.He noted that the idea to hold the meeting had appeared in September 2003 during the visit of King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, who had been a prince back then, to Moscow. Russian diplomats were actively elaborating its position in Chechnya.Baklanov noted that the prince had agreed to establish direct communication. The diplomat himself met with the king in late 2003 and initiated the practical side of the contacts. The king expressed willingness to meet with the Chechen president. Baklanov added that Kadyrov’s knowledge of Arabic had a very significant role in gaining trust.Meetings were held with top intellectuals of the country at millionaire El Hadji’s resident in Jeddah. The Russian delegation moved to Riyadh afterwards and met with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Saud Al Faisal and other officials. One of Al Faisal’s questions was why had the extremists taken the initiative to make changes in Chechnya. Kadyrov, according to Baklanov, had replied that people had been hoping for reformations before realizing the fall towards separatism and schism.Kadyrov’s visit was a breakthrough in relations between Saudi Arabia and Russia, Saudi Arabia agreed to progress in developing trade and economic ties. The visit became an element of normalization of relations with Russia. Baklanov added that the efforts to form a regular political dialogue between the two countries before the talks in January 2004 had been unsuccess
