MOSCOW, Jan 19: Saudi Arabia has cracked down on groups funding guerillas in Russia's war-torn republic of Chechnya and has recognized its pro-Moscow government, Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov told a news conference on Monday.

"The government of Saudi Arabia has taken control over those groups that were independently working on Saudi territory, collecting money for supposedly helping the residents of Chechnya," he said after a five-day visit during which he met Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz.

Kadyrov, a Muslim and former guerilla, who was elected president on October 4, 2003,also said the Saudi leadership had recognized the authority of his government.

"This recognition is all the more important because Saudi Arabia is the center of Islam," said Kadyrov, a former mufti who also performed Haj during his trip to Saudi Arabia.

The election, part of Moscow's peace plan for Chechnya, was boycotted by international observers and decried as fraudulent by human rights activists and journalists after all Kadyrov's major challengers were removed or bowed out under Kremlin pressure.

Kadyrov said the Saudi leadership was ready to provide funds to rebuild Chechnya, which has been ravaged by a four-year war with Russian troops, the second such conflict in a decade.

"The country is ready to provide Chechnya with help in restoring the economy and social sphere and is ready to study concrete programmes and suggestions," he said.

Kadyrov said he 'practically reached' an agreement on opening a Chechen representative office in Saudi Arabia to channel such restructuring funds.

Kadyrov fought Russian troops as a guerilla during the first Russo-Chechen war in 1994-1996, but switched sides at the start of the second conflict in October 1999 and the Kremlin appointed him Chechnya's top administrator in 2000.

The latest war in Chechnya was begun as a lightning-strike anti-terrorist operation but has degenerated into a guerilla war that continues to claim civilian, law enforcement and guerilla lives on nearly a daily basis.-AFP