Putin thanks Shevardnadze for decisive action against terrorism

Russian President Vladimir Putin has thanked the Georgian president for "decisive action against terrorism." "The action was taken in full accordance with the agreements we reached in Chisinau," said the Russian president, opening a traditional Kremlin-based Monday conference with members of the Russian government.

He reminded the assembly that Georgian special services had taken "a series of measures and eliminated the most odious of the terrorists, including some that had been involved in apartment building explosions in Moscow." "One of them was arrested and convoyed to Lefortovo," he said.

He also said he hoped "this cooperation between special services and law-enforcing authorities of Georgia and Russia" would "help in the struggle against terrorism" and would also push Russian-Georgian relations to a "higher qualitative level."