FM, UN ENVOY DISCUSS FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM, CRIME, DRUGS

MOSCOW. Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov met with UN Undersecretary
General Pino Arlacchi, who is also the executive director of the U.N.
Office of Drug Control and Crime Prevention, on Monday to discuss
international terrorism, organised crime and drug trafficking.

Russia "appreciates the U.N. coordinating role in consolidating the efforts
of countries in this field", Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko
told Itar-Tass.

The Vienna-based office headed by Arlacchi contributes heavily to this
process by assisting the Federal Border Guard Service's frontier troops in
Tajikistan in fighting crime and drug trafficking. To this end, the office
has provided more than 3.5 million U.S. dollars.

"Russia decisively fights crime, especially in the economic sphere, and is
ready for constructive cooperation at all levels", the spokesman said.

The Russian leadership "attaches great significance to the resolution of
the problem of capital flight and the return of assets illegally taken out
of the country", he said.

Moscow gives an important role in this field to law enforcement agencies
called upon to interact with their foreign counterparts, Yakovenko said,
adding that the United Nations should step up its efforts in this direction.

The fight against terrorism is another important issue. "We welcome U.N.
measures to enhance the fight against international terrorism", the
diplomat said. At the same time, he stressed that "the U.N. potential in
the anti-terrorist direction is far from being exhausted".

One of the priorities is to create a sound anti-terrorist basis and
encourage as many countries to join appropriate conventions as possible, he
said.

"Experience shows that the most effective methods for fighting terrorism is
when you deprive it of its financial sources. This is why we call for a
speedy entry into force of the international convention on the fight
against international terrorism which Russia has already signed", the
spokesman said.

After talks in Moscow, Arlacchi will leave for St. Petersburg to take part
in a conference on shadow economy and money laundering to be held in St.
Petersburg on June 5-6.