Chechen authorities ready to accommodate refugees from Pankisi Gorge

The authorities of the Chechen Republic could accommodate the Chechen refugees residing in Georgia's Pankisi Gorge, Federal Minister for Chechen Affairs Vladimir Yelagin told a press conference in Moscow.

"I think we are capable of ensuring social and economic rehabilitation for temporarily displaced persons from Pankisi," he said.

However, there is no exact information available about the numbers of these people, added Yelagin. In his opinion, it is not that easy to solve this problem because of complex relations with the Georgian authorities.

Nevertheless, where refugees are concerned, the Chechen authorities "are ready to work on each case separately," he assured.