Russian President Favors an Updated System of International Law

Russian president Vladimir Putin is convinced that given clear-cut legal mechanisms of settling crisis situations, "much more efficient solutions to the most complex world problems" could be found without exceeding the limits of the legal field. He told this the international conference "Peace, Security, and International Law: Insight into the Future," which opened in St. Petersburg.

In Putin's words, although the world collected the fundamental principles and norms of international law literally "by bricks", the shortcomings of the existing system of international law, which harbor "a serious conflict potential" have become manifest of late. The existing legal mechanisms on which politicians and the leaders of states rely are "inadequate and obsolete," said the Russian president. This may be fraught with "serious consequences," believes Vladimir Putin.

In his words, the system of international law must develop and improve in order to match the quickly changing world.

At the same time, stressed the Russian leader, the efficiency of international law depends first of all on the unanimity in understanding the values of democracy and humanism, on politicians' will to uphold and promote these values, using the recognized mechanisms of international law.

In connection with this, "it is extremely important" that the role of multilateral cooperation of states, "which until now constituted the foundation of international stability and security" be increased, stated the Russian president.