Putin Says Russia Left Tragic Past Behind, Ready to Move Forward

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia has already turned the most tragic pages of its history.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia has left the most tragic events of its past behind and will now only grow stronger, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview published on Monday.

"I believe that Russia has already turned the most tragic pages of its history. We will only move forward and grow stronger," Putin told the television channel Bloomberg.

When asked about Moscow’s at times uneasy relationship with the Chechen Republic, which has led to a number of armed conflicts in the past, Putin stressed that the region's local government chose to forge a working relationship with the central administration due to their personal convictions. The president underlined that the long process of finding ways to cooperate and coexist was not yet over.

"Many things require improvement and we need time to forget these tragic events of the mid 1990s and finally heal our wounds," Putin added.

The Chechen region, which was once prone to terrorist attacks and armed conflicts, has been significantly rebuilt in the last decade. Earlier this year, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov reported that the situation in the region was stable, with no serious terror-related threats.