STATEMENT BY THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION THREE YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE THE TERRORIST ATTACKS IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA THAT SHOOK THE WORLD.

Unofficial translation from Russian

STATEMENT BY THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Three years have passed since the terrorist attacks in the United States of America that shook the world.

Today we honor the memory of the thousands of Americans and citizens of other states killed on that day. Our thoughts are about them and those who died through the fault of terrorists during these three years.

Already on September 11, 2001, to many it became clear that the world had irrevocably changed. New-generation terrorism had declared itself in a terrible way. Not all of us had then fully grasped the real danger of the enemy that had come out against us. The entire world realized this, shuddering at another barbarity of terrorists - this time around in Russia, this September.

There is no region left on the planet where terrorism has not left its bloody trail. Each country, each person is endangered.

Terrorism, manifesting itself in different countries, has an international character and has neither national, nor religious, nor cultural nor other identity. Terrorism has neither legal nor moral limiters. Its aims are to destroy the foundations of our civilization and to subject humanity to its will. Terrorism is the fascism of the 21st century. The only defense is to destroy it.

There is no doubt that we, the civilized world, can win in a mortal combat with terrorism, if we do realize that terrorism is the Number One enemy, if we act in unity and cohesion, consistently and honestly with one another.

A great deal has been done over these years. The international community has in fact made a breakthrough - a broad antiterrorist coalition formed, the legal basis greatly strengthened, international, regional and bilateral mechanisms of fighting terrorism put in place, and trust now up between states.

But even more has yet to be done. To the new dimension of terrorist threat it is necessary to oppose a qualitatively new level of antiterrorist partnership, free of "double standards."

It is extremely important to supplement states' efforts with vigorous actions by civil society, capable of making its contribution, primarily in exposing the inhuman nature of terrorism.

Paying tribute to the memory of the victims of terrorism, it is necessary to close the ranks in order to ward off the terrorist threat from our common house.

September 11, 2004