26 May 2004 11:01
Putin vows to fight terrorism, despite murder of Chechen leader
In his annual address to parliament on 26 May Putin also acknowledged that terrorism remains a problem, and he
referred to the recent killing of Chechnya's leader Akhmat Kadyrov, but he stressed that Russia will not be
deterred from pursuing wider human rights and freedoms. He said:
"Terrorism poses a threat to life and human rights. It destabilizes states and entire regions of the world. It
stands in the way of economic and social progress. Today international terrorists continue to commit acts of violence
and to murder peaceful citizens. They are attempting to provoke chaos and to destabilize the situation in various
regions. Unfortunately, Russia is no exception here. In spite of provocations of this kind, including the recent
political murder of the leader of the Chechen Republic and the attempt to disorganize the work of the lawfully elected
bodies of power in the republic, our line in the struggle against terror remains unchanged and consistent. Nobody and
nothing will stop Russia on the road to strengthening of democracy and ensuring human rights and freedoms." These
remarks were met with applause in the hall.
"We will continue to work on the development of internationally recognized legal instruments and collective
mechanisms for the neutralization of global threats. I regard the task of strengthening the antiterrorist coalition as
one of the most important ones. In this respect, I would like to point out that no references to the need to fight
terror can be an argument for restricting human rights or, on the international arena, for the creation of unjustified
difficulties for contacts between people."
[RTR Russia TV] |
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