World | Other World Stories
G8 to back Russia on anti-terror role for business
Group of Eight leaders meeting in Russia this month will back a proposal by Moscow to get business more actively involved in the fight against terrorism, European diplomats say.
- Reuters
- Published: 00:00 July 7, 2006
Moscow/Berlin: Group of Eight leaders meeting in Russia this month will back a proposal by Moscow to get business more actively involved in the fight against terrorism, European diplomats say.
But the call will be couched in vague language after a tricky negotiation process reflecting the gulf between the Kremlin's domineering relationship with Russian businesses and the hands-off approach of its G8 partners.
"You and we are natural partners in the fight against terrorism and today we would like to look at how we can maximise our joint capabilities more effectively and with greater coordination," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Russian businesses last month.
But Russia's vision what Kremlin security official Anatoly Safonov calls "a union of the state and the business community in the fight against terrorism" sounds uncomfortably interventionist to some Western ears.
Safonov himself acknowledged at a seminar in April: "Business is very sensitive we particularly felt this in contacts with our Western colleagues about any obligations, about having their obligations regulated."
Reflecting Western unease, an initial Russian draft proposal has been heavily reworked in the run-up to the summit because other countries balked at Moscow's ideas on prescribing a role for the media, a European G8 diplomat said.
"The Russians originally wanted some sort of self-control undertaking by the media business to report on terrorism issues in a certain way, or desist from reporting on terrorism issues in ways which would be contrary to counter-terrorism purposes," he said.
"I think he [Safonov] has understood he's not going to get anything to do with media into the summit agreement."
What will remain, diplomats said, is a general statement on the need for public-private partnerships in counter-terrorism, to be followed up at a Moscow conference on November 27-29 to which Russia hopes to attract leading Western companies.
"We will give a positive answer to this call from Russia," said a second European G8 official, referring to the conference idea which he said could produce some "interesting developments" and also enjoyed US backing.
"Washington considers this another frontier for the G8 to extend cooperation against terrorism. It would be a way to show the Russians how cooperation with the private sector could have great potential in the future. If you think of the growth of Gazprom and other companies in the energy sector, cooperation like this has great potential."
Safonov has mentioned General Electric and Royal Dutch Shell among companies that Moscow has been talking to. Both companies are seeking new business opportunities in Russia.
Meanwhile, President Vladimir Putin on Thursday sought to play down poor relations with Washington, saying George W. Bush remained a "decent" friend and the United States one of Russia's most important partners.
In a high-profile televised appearance to help boost his international image before he hosts a Group of Eight summit, Putin also weighed in with his views on North Korea's missile launches and the Iranian nuclear question.
He condemned Pyongyang's action as disappointing and said he wanted a "quicker" response from Iran to big power proposals.
Both issues will be hotly debated at the St Petersburg G8 summit on July 15-17 that will also focus on energy security, throwing a spotlight on Russia's role as an emerging energy superpower.
Putin, replying on television to questions from round the world given via the internet, said he had spoken to the American leader yesterday and congratulated him on his 60th birthday.
The two-hour appearance of the 53-year-old former spy fielding questions across a range of policy issues was the climax to a major Kremlin public relations offensive ahead of the summit which will be held in Putin's home town.
More than 160,000 questions were posted to Putin on the internet, according to Russian search engine Yandex.ru which with the BBC was one of the organisers of the online conference.
Share this article
News Editor's choice
-
Reader helps police to bust brothel
More than 20 gang members recently arrested from running brothels in Dubai
-
Philippine areas under emergency rule
Toll rises to 46 in brutal kidnap and murder in the south
-
Obama seeks to reassure Singh on ties
Singh is on elaborate state visit that will include talks on US ties with Pakistan
