President Putin: terrorist act in Moscow has consolidated Russian society

Terrorists who seized the Theatrical Center in Moscow on October 23 have miscalculated in a bid to split Russian society. "Nothing of the kind has happened. On the contrary, they have met with a strong united rebuff", said Russian President Vladimir Putin in an interview to the Chinese news agency Xinhua and Chinese television on the eve of an official visit to China. Vladimir Putin thanked the people and the leadership of China for their backing in the tragic hostage-taking days in Moscow on October 23-26 this year.

These terrorist actions have produced a converse effect - an even greater consolidation of Russian society, the understanding of the depth of the on-going processes, said Putin. Their gist is that, "under the guise of false slogans of the struggle for the independence of Chechnya, international terrorism actually sets to itself goals which have nothing to do with the interests of the people of Chechnya". "In actual fact, this is a part of the global terrorist network and they have different goals - the separation of the North Caucasus from Russia and so on and so forth", said Putin.

The head of state believes that the sweeping majority of Russian citizens and residents of Chechnya have come to understand the true intentions of terrorists. More active processes of rehabilitating the political, economic and social sphere have begun there. After that event authoritative public and religious figures in the Chechen republic have raised the question of accelerated formation of legitimate organs of power and adoption of Chechnya's constitution. "We are ready to give them assistance", stressed the Russian president.

In his opinion, the "threat" of putting life to normalcy in Chechnya was the reason for the bandit inroad of terrorists in Moscow for the purpose of wrecking the peace process.