Chechen Leader Comments on the Road to Georgia
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov answered a question during a live Q&A session about the construction of the Itum-Kali–Shatili highway, which could connect Chechnya with Georgia. "In reality, Georgia has proven unfavorable for us, even though we signed the documents and did everything. Unfortunately, our neighbors still don't want a road through Georgia," Kadyrov said. The specific documents Kadyrov was referring to are unknown. Tbilisi has repeatedly stated that the issue of building a highway connecting Georgia with Chechnya has never been on the Georgian agenda. This was announced by the country's Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure in March 2022. The construction of a road and border crossing between Georgia and the Chechen Republic was discussed at a meeting of the Russian Security Council in Grozny in March 2022. Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov spoke at the time about the road's "strategic significance" and its importance for accessing foreign markets. Roman Starovoit, head of Rosavtodor, also discussed the possibility of constructing the road in 2018. He noted that his agency would consider including the route from Chechnya to Georgia in the list of federally significant sites. This year, David Tsetskhladze, head of the Georgian diaspora in Russia, expressed hope for the construction of a road connecting Russia and Georgia via Ingushetia. However, even then, the initiative failed to gain support in Tbilisi. Currently, the only official border crossing between Russia and Georgia remains Dariali-Verkhniy Lars. The Georgian side is constructing a new road and tunnel from Kvesheti to Kobi, which should facilitate travel towards the border. However, according to the latest reports, completion of the project has been delayed until 2028.
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