What Happened: Regional officials from Chechnya and Dagestan have met in Makhachkala to discuss a land swap between the two regions, Meduza reported Jan. 23.
Why It Matters: The meeting is a notable first step toward territorial adjustments between Chechnya and Dagestan and comes just months after Chechnya and Ingushetia approved a controversial land swap agreement.
Background: Chechnya and Ingushetia reached a land swap agreement in September 2018, but the deal ignited widespread protests in Ingushetia. Russia's Constitutional Court issued a ruling on Dec. 6, 2018, upholding the legality of the agreement and overruling the Ingush Supreme Court, which had struck the deal down as illegal.
Read More:
- Putin's Russia Embraces a Eurasian Identity (Jan. 17, 2019)
- Russia's Lingering North Caucasus Problem (Dec. 21, 2018)
- Russia: A Local Border Dispute Puts Moscow in a Bind (Oct. 30, 2018)
