Council Of Europe To Play Major Role In Creating Legal Infra-structure For Combating International Terrorism

The Council of Europe will play a major role in creating a legal infra-structure for combating international terrorism. This statement was made on Friday by Hans Christian Krueger, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, at a press conference after the 24th Conference of European Justice Ministers completed its work. Krueger expressed the hope that the European states which so far have not joined the conventions aimed at combating terrorism, will ratify them before November 8 when the Committee of the Council of Europe ministers will hold its meeting in Strasbourg. Krueger said that the development of new regulatory documents on combating terrorism will take more time. But he stressed that the struggle will become one of the priority trends in the Council of Europe's activities. Russia's Justice Minister Yuri Chaika noted, in his turn, that Russia not long ago adopted a law on combating money laundering. More than that, he said that amendments to the Criminal Code were ready. They concern responsibility for financing terrorist crimes. The financing of terrorism will be singled out into a separate formal element of a crime. The necessary amendments will also be made to the law on combating terrorism which Russia adopted in 1998.