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.