20 November 2001 00:00
SPEECH BY RUSSIAN SECURITY COUNCIL SECRETARY VLADIMIR RUSHAILO AT THE CONFERENCE OF HEADS OF STATE FROM CENTRAL, EASTERN AND SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE ON COMBATING INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM, PRESIDENTIAL PALACE, WARSAW, NOVEMBER 6, 2001
Esteemed Mr. President of the Republic of Poland,
Esteemed Heads of State and Government,
Esteemed meeting participants,
First of all, I would like to thank Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski for the invitation to take part in the work of this high forum. I am confident that its decisions will facilitate the common aim of rallying the international community on the platform of the eradication of terrorism and the attendant negative manifestations - illicit drug and arms trafficking, organized crime, illegal migration.
Europe, just as Russia, has a rich experience of fighting terrorism. Europeans have had to counteract it in the Balkans and other regions of the continent over many years. Institutions for ensuring regional security have been and are being created. In particular, one should note the program to combat terrorism, approved at the European Union summit in Ghent on October 19, 2001.
Russia, for its part, is conducting vigorous antiterrorist activity both on its own in the North Caucasus and in Central Asia under the Treaty on Collective Security. But terrorists too are becoming ever more organized and sophisticated.
In the world, including Europe, they have set up a whole network of financial, commercial and public organizations which, using the lofty aims of a religious or national idea as a cover, create a real terrorist international.
It has to be admitted that the so rapid development of this system has been largely facilitated by the deep-seated, unfortunately, ideology of double standards in the assessment of manifestations of terrorism. Because of political conditions terrorists become freedom fighters. The media give them an opportunity for the advocacy of their activities.
The possibilities of the structure of international terrorism were with all the tragic clarity demonstrated in the United States in September of the current year. President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin clearly set out in this connection the position of our state in favor of immediately establishing a broad antiterrorist coalition.
Undeniably, a special role in the realization of this task belongs to Europe. This forum is seen as an important step in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe joining in this process. Now it is particularly relevant to outline concrete practical measures of a long-term plan to combat terrorism. Taking into account its international character, it is necessary to work out an effective international legal base and any counterterrorist operation should from the outset be in a legal field.
As part of the elaboration of a general convention against international terrorism, it is advisable to create under the aegis of the UN a broad international fund for the financing of antiterrorist measures.
For effective struggle it is necessary to fix a common list of new threats and challenges emanating from international terrorism, and a mechanism for countering them.
Considering the absence of a uniform approach in international law to the definition of terrorism and the qualification of crimes having a terrorist nature, we consider it advisable to withdraw terrorism from the category of general criminal offences into a special category of particularly dangerous crimes against humanity.
In practical terms we suggest carrying out a unification or harmonization of customs rules, border crossing procedures, including movement of capital, and agreed measures for the reinforcement of security in railway, air and motor transport.
Deeper forms of cooperation are possible. It is important that it should be accomplished regularly and we should inform each other of the steps being taken.
One more important point. In the course of a decisive struggle against international terrorism and religious extremism the thesis that we do not oppose Islam as a religion should be consistently pursued. In this connection it is important to give support to constructive proposals coming from Muslim communities.
And on the whole we all need to constantly pay attention to the information and explanatory aspect of antiterrorist activity.
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In conclusion I would like to thank all those present for their attention.
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