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Russia stresses UN, legal basis in fight on terror
September 20, 2001
By Ron Popeski
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said Thursday that it wanted a legal framework
for any response to the attacks on the United States, with emphasis on the
U.N. Security Council.
A Kremlin statement said President Vladimir Putin had agreed, in a
telephone conversation with French President Jacques Chirac, that the
United Nations should play a leading role.
Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov drove the point home in an interview following
talks in Washington, saying any coordinated action against terrorism
required a firm legal foundation.
And the Russian leadership remained cautious on what help it might extend
to Washington, saying no formal requests had yet been received to allow the
use of airspace and bases in the former Soviet Central Asian states.
In its account of Putin's discussion with Chirac, the Kremlin said both
leaders had approved the "emerging consensus in favor of uniting the world
community's long-term efforts" against terrorism after the attacks on the
United States.
"It was stressed that it was vital, to this end, to make use of all
international mechanisms, first and foremost the U.N. and its Security
Council," the statement said.
It said Chirac had told Putin, who was at a resort on the Black Sea coast,
of his talks this week in Washington with President Bush. In Paris,
Chirac's office declined to give further details on the telephone call,
saying it was one of several the president had had with world leaders
during the day.
French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine, during talks in Moscow last week,
also suggested that the U.N. Security Council could play a major role in
any response to the attacks on New York's World Trade Center and the
Pentagon near Washington.
Immediately after the destruction, Putin had offered the United States help
in finding the perpetrators.
But he and other officials have since adopted a more cautious approach,
urging Washington to produce evidence of involvement before proceeding with
retaliatory strikes and calling for procedures within a framework of
international law.
FOREIGN MINISTER WANTS LEGAL FOUNDATION
Ivanov, speaking to RTR state television from New York, said the key
element in formulating a response was "creating a solid international legal
basis under the jurisdiction of the United Nations."
"Appropriate conventions, international treaties and agreements must be
adopted to enable us, on a legal basis, to fight against different forms of
extremism, including terrorism," he said.
"No measures can be ruled out, including the use of force. But the use
of
force must be based on a solid legal foundation."
He said that if the United States proceeded with a land-based operation in
Afghanistan "our reaction would be worked out with due account of all the
circumstances."
And he said that although no requests had been made for Central Asian
facilities, Russia had given Washington what information it had on camps in
Afghanistan for armed fighters.
Vladimir Rushailo, head of Putin's advisory Security Council, told RTR that
discussions with U.S. officials had not dealt with the issue of Central
Asian states.
"I believe that time will tell," Rushailo, dispatched by Putin on a
tour of
Central Asia, told RTR from Tajikistan, Afghanistan's northern neighbor.
"So far, all our talks are focused on the issue that all countries in the
international community should unite their efforts in fighting terrorism.
Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov had earlier urged U.S. National Security
Adviser Condoleezza Rice of the "necessity of eliminating double standards
from politics"
Two senior U.S. envoys visited Moscow this week, but little was disclosed
of the outcome of their discussions.
