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#13 - JRL 8369 - JRL Home
MINISTER: US STATE SECRETARY'S CLAIMS ABOUT INFRINGEMENT OF DEMOCRACY IN RUSSIA UNFOUNDED

ASTANA, September 15, (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov considers unfounded the claims by US Secretary of State Colin Powell that democracy in Russia has been infringed by anti-terrorist measures slated for implementation in it.

"Administrative and legislative reforms and processes under way in Russia are an internal matter for this country," Lavrov told reporters as he commented on the US State Secretary's statement after a meeting of the CIS Foreign Ministers Council in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana.

Lavrov said he personally views Powell's statement as a confirmation of the need to adopt tough measures to fight terrorism while at the same time observing a balance between the toughness of these measures and preservation of democratic values.

The Russian foreign minister at the same time drew attention to the fact that Powell confirmed US solidarity with Russia in the struggle against international terrorism. He recalled that following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks the US itself adopted tough measures which had a mixed reception in American society.

Lavrov quoted the Russian president as saying that all declared anti-terrorist measures, which are as yet only outlined but not legislated, will be taken and conducted exclusively within the Russian constitution.

The Russian minister considers it "odd" that Powell regards as a "departure" from democratic values any actions that do not agree with the concept of democracy in one concrete country alone (US).

"We do not criticise such 'departures' from democratic norms as direct election of a president in the US," Lavrov noted.

"So our programmes, our processes and projects are likewise an internal matter for this country," he said.