Moscow suggests standardizing national legislations in order to deprive terrorists of money

Russian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Alexei Kudrin deems it necessary to standardize different national legislations for the sake of cutting off financial aid to terrorists.

Efforts to deprive terrorists of money will be discussed today at a conference involving Big Twenty finance ministers and central-bank board chair-persons. (This organization unites the world's industrial countries and countries with transitional market economies -- Ed.) Talking to reporters, Kudrin noted that everyone admitted that the problem of international terrorism did exist; however, no adequate measures are currently being implemented in order to cut off the influx of money to terrorist organizations, he added. Information being received by some national secret services doesn't always match the legislation of other countries, Kudrin stressed. The concerned parties haven't yet formulated a joint approach to freezing the accounts of private individuals and legal entities suspected of financing terrorists, Kudrin said.

Russia now actively exchanges information (as regards efforts to cope with terrorist-cell financial flows) with other countries. Such information is being exchanged in line with a US suspect list and in line with Russian data, as well. People suspected of financing terrorists have already been arrested in other countries, the Russian side says.

According to Kudrin, terrorists being listed by the US side had surfaced in Russia; however, Russian departments need more information, so that they could have enough legal grounds to thwart their actions, Kudrin said in conclusion.