Pubdate: Fri, 01 Jun 2001
Source: Times of Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan)
Copyright: 2001 The Times of Central Asia
Contact:  http://www.times.kg/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1202

PUTIN: TERRORISM IS AN ATTEMPT TO COVER UP THE ECONOMIC INTERESTS OF DRUG 
TRAFFICKERS

MINSK Appearing at a press conference today in Minsk, Russian President 
Vladimir Putin said that terrorism was practically always an attempt to 
cover up the economic interests of drug traffickers with political slogans. 
The president pointed to the concern of the international community over 
"uncontrolled" territories in some CIS states which are de facto zones 
through which arms and drugs are channelled.

The Russian head of state stressed that this was nothing new to the CIS, 
adding that "everything is trivial and simple, like the question of the 
chicken and the egg." According to him, the CIS maintains a clear and 
agreed position with regards to the fight against the drug-trade. The 
Council of CIS leaders discussed how to raise the efficiency of the 
Anti-Terrorist Centre in this area. Putin said he believed that "we need to 
enhance the coordination of the activity of law-enforcement bodies, to 
coordinate foreign policy in the fight against terrorism." He pointed out 
that the fight against terrorism, as well as the problems connected with 
it, were of key importance to the Caucasus Four.
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MAP posted-by: Beth