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Kadyrov Touting for Saudis' Cash

The Kremlin-backed president of Chechnya discussed reconstruction assistance and investment in the war-ravaged region Thursday with Saudi business representatives, Russian news agencies reported.

Akhmad Kadyrov arrived Wednesday in the Red Sea port city of Jiddah, the first stop on an official visit to Saudi Arabia. His tour was to include participation in an umrah, or minor pilgrimage, to Mecca and a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah.

Russia's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Andrei Baklanov, said Kadyrov and Saudi businessmen had discussed projects in oil extraction, construction and infrastructure, Itar-Tass reported.

The Islamic Development Bank plans to aid Chechnya in restoring its educational system and will dispatch a working group there to assess needs, Interfax reported. Before his trip, Kadyrov said he wanted to tell his hosts about "the real situation" in Chechnya and would exert pressure to rein in many Saudis' support for the Chechen rebels.

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