KONSTANTIN KAZENIN: “I DO NOT SEE THE REASON TO ACTUALIZE THE TOPIC OF THE NORTH OSSETIA AND INGUSHETIA BOUNDARIES

Konstantin Kazenin, Senior researcher, Center for Political Economy and Regional Development at the Gaidar Institute, shared his opinion with the “Club of regions” on amendments of administrative boundaries between the North Ossetia and Ingushetia.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed the RF subjects to complete establishing the boundaries of regions and residential areas by 2021 in order to settle the cadastral registration of land plots and real estate assets under the state or municipal ownership.

According to Konstantin Kazenin, the acuteness of the territorial issue between the two republics "is a thing of the past a long time ago" and instead of actualizing the problem, the authorities should tackle other more pressing issues, such as the integration of the Ingush returning to the Prigorodny district.

“We all remember that two years ago the issue of boundaries with another subject, Chechnya, provoked a violent public reaction. As for the boundary between Ingushetia and North Ossetia, it is clear that this issue is complicated probably by the memory of the 1992 conflict associated with the status of the Prigorodny district. On the whole, one might as well say that the severity of this conflict has long been a thing of the past, and the return of Ingush migrants to the Prigorodny district generally proceeded normally.

However, it is very important that such imprudent statements and unilateral initiatives do not bring back the acuteness of the situation. Indeed, it is critical that there are no uncoordinated initiatives taken by the Governors of the subjects. As for the ability to regulate the situation (if God forbid it gets out of control), who and to what extent is able to influence it, I do not presume to assess. In my opinion, it would be better not to exacerbate.

I see no reason to actualize this topic now. There are other problems that really need to be dealt with, first of all, regulating the situation on the spot, in the Prigorodny District. This is a multinational area, where many Ingush, who left it in the 90s, returned. It is their integration into the society of this area that has to be prioritized. This is what we need to do”, Konstantin Kazenin, the expert of the Gaidar Institute, noted.