Answer: The tragic events in the US on September 11 forced the entire world to look at the problem of international terrorism from a new angle. This issue and the related set of new challenges and threats will doubtless exert a significant influence on the future development of international relations and restructuring of the existing mechanisms for ensuring security. The intensive coalescence of drug business structures and transnational organized crime, actively providing sources of funding for international terrorism, now ready to use for its aims any means and technologies, including biological, chemical and nuclear materials, requires new approaches to the creation of a reliable system of counteracting these actual large-scale threats. At the same time global criminal challenges need serious analysis and call for the intensified study of the legislative experience of other countries, promotion of international and bilateral cooperation on this track and elaboration of new, often nonstandard international legal approaches and solutions.

This on the whole defines the range of principal tasks of the new subdivision of the MFA - for the issues of new challenges and threats. Established this summer, the Directorate was on October 25 made into a Department by an order of the Minister. I want to draw your attention to the fact that the Russian leadership had long before the tragedy of September 11 urged the world community to build up the collaborative effort against international terrorism. In its practical work, the MFA has devoted considerable attention to these problems. Under the new conditions, the political and organizational dimension of these tasks, undoubtedly, has increased. The new Department is designed to become an important unit in working out and implementing a political course in the area of international cooperation to fight against terrorism, narco-danger, transnational crime and other challenges and threats and in coordinating a single foreign policy line of the Russian Federation on these issues in the international arena.

Question: How actively and effectively is cooperation between Russia and the US in questions of the fight against terrorism taking shape today? What new steps were outlined at the recent Moscow meeting of the Russian-American Working Group on Afghanistan?

Answer: We are satisfied with the dynamic and effective way in which cooperation with the US is developing in the struggle against terrorism at different levels and in various azimuths. We give a special role in our cooperation to the activities of the bilateral working group on Afghanistan, set up by a decision of the Russian and US Presidents, which recently met in Moscow on November 1, 2001, under the chairmanship of Russian First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Vyacheslav Trubnikov and US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage. It is crucial that we've managed to find a common vision of the chief vector of work - strengthening the leading role of the UN in joining and coordinating the efforts of the international community for the fight against terror. There must be no failure in this process. There is the understanding that the development of the antiterrorist action in Afghanistan and its swift change from a military to a political phase should be closely associated with the long-term tasks of creating a global system of effective response to new threats and challenges to international security.

During the session, the American side and we discussed further steps to ease a post-conflict Afghan settlement, build up international humanitarian aid for the Afghan population and necessary joint efforts to put a stop to the drug flow from that country and to reinforce the "security belt."

Question: After the terrorist acts of September 11 it began to be said in the world that cooperation in the fight against terrorism should be organized in a new way. How advisable is, in your opinion, the creation of new international structures or holding of an international forum on these issues?

Answer: The answer to the question about our views on the creation of new international structures to a certain extent is contained in the Resolution 1373 (2001) of the UN Security Council. In accordance with this decision, in the elaboration and adoption of which Russia took the most active and direct part, a special Counter-Terrorism Committee was established and has begun work, among the tasks of which is the monitoring of the adoption by all states of wide-ranging practical actions to prevent and suppress terrorist activity with emphasis on blocking the sources of funding for it. Another important function of the Committee will be the rendering of necessary consultative and other technical assistance to states with a view to the effective implementation by them of the provisions of Resolution 1373.

To the new international structures designed for the "organization of cooperation in the struggle against terrorism" I would also assign the above Russian-American Working Group on counteraction against terrorist and other threats emanating from the Afghanistan territory, and the analogous Russian-Indian Working Group. Set up in 2000, these groups have completely proven their mission by enabling a uniquely frank and confidential dialogue with our partners on antiterrorist issues, above all in the Afghan dimension. It was recently decided to establish a similar Russian-Chinese group.

As to the question of holding an international forum on antiterrorist problems, such ideas are being discussed and certainly have a right to live. Here the content side comes to the fore, achievement of tangible practical results, the overall mindset for the consolidation of international cooperation in the fight against terrorism. It is extremely important not to miss the thought repeatedly expressed by President Putin that the struggle against terrorism should bear a complex and long-term character and that as far as the forms of this struggle are concerned they, of course, can and should be most diverse. An international conference is one of such forms.

Question: What place do you think this range of problems will receive in Russian relations with the European Union, NATO and the Big Eight states?

Answer: Antiterrorist problems since the 11th of September have invariably held one of the central places both in bilateral contacts at the highest level and at the level of foreign ministers, and in the G8 format, in Russian cooperation with the European Union and NATO. As you know, the Statement of the G8 leaders of September 19, 2001, contains a direction to draw up a list of special measures to improve cooperation in the antiterrorist field. Russian experts took the most active part in the development by the G8 of such a comprehensive plan of action, which in the next few days will be submitted to the ministers of foreign affairs.

During the Russia-European Union October summit, a special statement on international terrorism was adopted in which the sides described the problem of international terrorism as a theme of "obvious interest" in the context of their political dialogue and agreed to develop this dialogue.

As to our cooperation with NATO, on the eve of the meeting on October 3, 2001, between Vladimir Putin and the Secretary General of this Organization, George Robertson, which was given wide coverage by domestic and international media, the first session of a Russia-NATO special high-level group on the struggle against terrorism was held, at which we stated our vision of future cooperation with this respected structure on the antiterrorist track. My impression is that the partners became interested in the vector of cooperation suggested by us.

Thus, we are striving to use various possibilities for mobilizing our Western partners for the fight against the "scourge of the 21st century." In this connection, somewhat beyond the scope of the question asked, I cannot but mention the statements which Russia made on this topic jointly with our CIS allies, the participants of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the partners in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

Question: In his statements President Putin has repeatedly spoken of Russia's provision to the international alliance of a large amount of information on terrorist organizations. Do we receive in response from members states of the international alliance the information we need, and what role do we allot to this cooperation?

Answer: I will venture to note that in his interview with the American ABC television company, our President stated his view loud and clear. We don't just provide the international antiterrorist coalition with a large amount of information - it is "of the best and highest quality."

I think I have partly answered the question when I said that within the Russian-American and the Russian-Indian Working Groups a uniquely frank and confidential dialogue on antiterrorist problems has been established. As states' cooperation always presupposes a two-way street, to reach such a high level of cooperation only through the efforts of one side would be unrealistic.


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