#9
Russian Security Council Official Interviewed on Eve of Terrorism Session
Rossiyskaya Gazeta
30 April 2002
Interview with Oleg Chernov, deputy secretary of Russian Security Council, by Yuriy Yershov; date, place not given:
"There Should Be Neither Leaders Nor Led in Fight Against Terrorism"

A regular session of the Russian Federation Security Council will take place today, devoted to Russia's role in the fight against international terrorism. On the eve of the session our correspondent talked to Security Council Deputy Secretary Oleg Chernov.

[Yershov] Oleg Dmitriyevich, the fight against terrorism is probably one of the main topics in world politics nowadays....

[Chernov] Following September 11 it has become a truly dominating topic in world politics and has largely changed the architecture of international security or, at least, is providing real impulses and signals in that direction. Having actively involved itself in this fight, Russia is obviously also taking into consideration the interests of its own internal and external security.

Incidentally, we sounded the alarm long ago. Immediately after the blasts in Moscow, Volgodonsk, and other cities we said that a joint effort must be made to oppose specifically international terrorism, because terrorists have long since crossed existing real and virtual borders and now have very substantial resources at their disposal. Unfortunately, however, few people heeded our appeals. It was only after September 11 that an international antiterrorist coalition was formed.

Russia constantly repeats that it is important to us that this fight against terrorism should not be used for any opportunist political or geostrategic purposes. There should be neither leaders nor led in this fight. The main organ for coordinating and conducting it should be the United Nations; this is of fundamental importance. It is the United Nations that should ensure that the expansion of the fight to certain other countries does not give rise to new, even more complex threats to mankind.

But let us get back to the topic. Our President Vladimir Putin's almost instantaneous -- even quicker than the NATO countries' -- response to the September 11 terrorist attacks in America determined Russia's strategic choice and did much to enable Russia to start resolving a very great many other security-related problems. Such as rapprochement with the West in certain areas, and the prevention of potential direct aggression on Russia's southern borders. It is no secret that both then and later we had to plan for pretty major expenditure of resources on ensuring security in this region. Last but not least, it seems to me that one of the most serious elements of our participation in the antiterrorist coalition has been the consolidation of Russian ministries and departments and, very importantly, of public awareness that, in order to ensure our country's security, we should work more seriously in the CIS area as a whole and in the Caucasus and Central Asian regions in particular. This is stated in our president's message of 18 April, in which he defined the objectives that started to crystallize more distinctly after September 11. He identified the main current priority of Russian foreign policy as substantive cooperation and work with CIS countries, without belittling other foreign policy goals.

[Yershov] The objectives have been set. What has the Security Council managed to do in this area?

[Chernov] After September 11 our president, who is also chairman of the Security Council, was in constant contact with the CIS leaders. At his behest Security Council Secretary Vladimir Rushaylo visited all the countries in the Central Asian region, including Turkmenistan. As a result it was decided to convene in Dushanbe immediately after the start of the antiterrorist operation in Afghanistan. As early as October 8 there was a session of the Committee of Collective Security Treaty Security Council Secretaries, to which representatives of all the CIS countries were also invited. And note that they all attended. I am saying this for the benefit of those people who doubt that the Collective Security Treaty is flourishing and that essential consultations take place within its framework.

There in Dushanbe a collective decision was made that we would all participate together in the antiterrorist operation on principles that each country would formulate for itself. Our president defined such principles. They not only chime with the position of the other CIS countries but also serve Russia's interests. Then, at the CIS summit in December, came the famous joint statement on the fight against international terrorism.

[Yershov] To put it mildly, did the Russian Security Council have a part in this?

[Chernov] I cannot assess that, and do not intend to. But it seems to me that in the runup to the 10th anniversary, which we celebrate in early June, this could be talked about. The Security Council is a constitutional organ that should help our president to elaborate tactics and strategy in domestic and foreign policy. Moreover, whereas initially the Council members were basically the people we refer to as "security ministers," the Council has now become much broader, because security is a concept that is not restricted to military threats. The Council coordinates the work of virtually all the ministries and departments in the security sphere. We have 10 interdepartmental commissions headed by the appropriate ministers. There is also a scientific council, which brings together the country's current best minds in the most diverse spheres associated with our security.

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