International terror to be in focus at G8 Canada summit

The upcoming G8 summit, due on June 26-27, will sum up results of the first stage of antiterrorist efforts and map out further goals in this field, reported Alexander Yakovenko, official representative of the Russian Foreign ministry.

The leaders of the leading countries will consider reports by their foreign, interior, justice and finance ministers. In the opinion of the Russian diplomat, at this summit "a serious impulse will be given to cooperation in the matter of antiterrorist ensurance of international transportation".

Yakovenko said that in this direction questions of G8 working interaction through relative departments are already being worked out. Specifically, agreement has been reached on the participation of the Russian federal frontier service in the 2002 drill of the G8 border control services. Cooperation between the Russian State Customs Committee and its partners will be held as daily electronic information exchange for the ensurance of safe transit of high-risk cargoes /radiation, chemical and others/, more efficient work against the contraband of arms and explosives.

Moscow believes that "efficient counteraction against terrorism is only possible within the framework of a broad comprehensive approach to the solution of key problems of international security and strategic stability," stressed Alexander Yakovenko.