Politicians of many countries denounce terrorist act in Beslan

ITAR-TASS News Agency
September 4, 2004 Saturday 10:22 AM Eastern Time

Politicians of many countries strongly denounce the terrorist act in
the North Ossetian city of Beslan, state about solidarity with the
leadership and people of Russia and supported Russia’s efforts in
the fight with terrorism.

Russia and Egypt stressed “the need to coordinate efforts of
all countries in the fight with terrorism,” Russian Deputy Foreign
Minister Alexander Saltanov said after a meeting of Egyptian President
Hosni Mubarak with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Sharm El Sheikh
on Friday.

Hosni Mubarak presented condolences and sympathy to all Russians over
the tragic events in Beslan and confirmed solidarity of Egypt with
Russia in this difficult moment. The Russian diplomat noted that the
Egyptian president “supported the Russian leadership in the fight
with terrorism and overcoming this evil.” According to Saltanov,
Russia and Egypt “stressed the need to coordinate efforts of all
countries in the fight with terrorism.”

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit also presented condolences
over the victims in Beslan to Sergei Lavrov on Saturday. “We hope
that these tragic events will never repeat,” the Egyptian minister
emphasised. He noted that the Russian-Egyptian negotiations confirmed
“full coincidence of views on the fight with terrorism.”

Sergei Lavrov thanked the Egyptian leadership for support over the
tragic events in North Ossetia. “The fight with terrorism, other
challenges and threats should be waged on bilateral and multilateral
basis with growing UN role,” the Russian minister indicated. “This
is one of the main directions of the Russian foreign policy,” Lavrov
remarked. He noted that “such approach was confirmed during a meeting
with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and was fixed in the protocol
that was signed on Saturday and brings cooperation in issues of world
policy on a qualitatively new level.”

Australian Prime Minister John Howard sent a telegram to Russian
President Vladimir Putin over the events in North Ossetia. He presented
condolences and sympathy to the Russian people and leadership. Howard
said he had followed the tragic events in Beslan for an hour and a
half last night. It is impossible to imagine the grief that those
whose children were there experienced. It is a really horrible event,
he remarked.

“The deeply shocked Armenian people shares the grief of losses and
mourns together with Russians,” said a telegram that Armenian President
Robert Kocharyan sent to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

“With anxiety and pain all Armenia has followed the development
of the situation over the hostage-taking in a school in Beslan,”
the republic’s president said. According to him, “these events
showed one more time inhumanity of terrorism and confirmed that the
world community should fight more resolutely and firmly with any
demonstrations of terrorism.”

The Armenian president presented to the Russian head of state and
“all next of kin words of sincere sympathy and condolences.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom strongly denounced “a barbaric
terrorist act” in Beslan, an official statement of the Israeli
Foreign Ministry said. Shalom voiced deep regret over the death of
innocent people. “In this mourning hour the Israeli people expressed
solidarity wit the people and government of Russia. It is a horrible
and unthinkable terrorist act,” the minister noted.

“The whole international community should condemn these actions and
pool its efforts in the fight with terror,” the minister said.

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is shocked by the events
in Beslan, a telegram to Russian President Vladimir Putin said on
Saturday. Koizumi resolutely denounced the actions of terrorists and
presented condolences to the families of those killed.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi sent the same telegram to
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday. She condemned the
terrorist act and stated about Japan’s readiness to closely cooperate
with Moscow in the fight with terrorism.