The Prime Ministers of Russia and Spain have made a joint statement on struggle against terrorism

The Prime Ministers of Russia and Spain - Mikhail Kasyanov and Jose Maria Aznar - have made a joint statement on combatting terrorism. The statement points out that the unprecedented terrorist attacks on September 11 have shown that terrorism is one of the main threats to international stability, democracy and human rights. Russia and Spain have confirmed their resolute condemnation of terrorist acts and stated their full solidarity with the people of the United States. The statement underscores that no motives of a political, social, ideological, religious, national or any other character can justify terrorism. The fight against terrorism, in the opinion of the Prime Ministers of Russia and Spain, must be aimed not only against those who directly perform these crimes but also against those who finance and organise them, who cover them or in some way or another help to carry them out. The two countries have confirmed the central role of the United Nations in coordinating the efforts of the world community in fighting terrorism. The statement says that the fight against terrorism should in no way be regarded as actions against peoples and religions, as actions aimed at dividing the world according to the principles of economic, social or cultural development. Russia and Spain have called upon all the states to take urgent measures for strengthening national and international legal foundation for actions against terrorism. They have come out for the earliest working out and adopting an All-Embracing Convention on Combatting Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. The document reminds the public that Russia and Spain are already cooperating in the sphere of combatting terrorism on the basis of the bilateral Agreement on Cooperation in Fighting Crime of 1999, and the sides intend to strengthen this cooperation. With the aim of further coordinating bilateral cooperation in this sphere the sides will consider the question of forming a Russian-Spanish working group under the aegis of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs.