Russian Duma Adopts Anti-Terrorism ResolutionThe Russian State Duma on Thursday passed a resolution on combating international terrorism, calling on President Vladimir Putin to hold emergency consultations with both chambers of parliament to discuss Russia's actions in response to U.S. possible retaliation attacks.Expressing condolences to the victims of last week's terror attacks in New York and Washington, the Duma deputies suggested that the president set up an anti-terror center and a world foundation for victims of international terrorism. The lawmakers, among whom 345 cast favorite votes and eight cast opponent votes, also urged their counterparts in other countries to initiate the drafting and signing of an international anti-terror convention at the top state level and ensure its timely ratification. The convention, they believed, should be based on the Declaration on Measures against International Terrorism, passed by the U.N. General Assembly in 1994, and other international documents in the field. Through the resolution, the Duma also called for an inter- parliamentary assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), which is to work out coordinated measures to guarantee the security of the CIS countries, as some of them directly border the countries "where tense situation breeds international terrorism." The Lower House also stressed the need to increase budget allocations in 2002 for activities related to national defense and security. |
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