"The Russian minister expressed gratitude for the words of sincere support and solidarity by President George Bush and common Americans after the unprecedentedly ruthless terrorist attack in Beslan. The sides expressed a firm resolve to build up partner efforts in the global war against terrorism," said Yakovenko.
The two ministers also minutely discussed the situation in Iraq after the country's provisional government had assumed power. "The sides agree that national accord was a vital condition for stabilisation in Iraq and called for building up international efforts towards fulfilling this task and implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1546," said the spokesman.
Foreign Minister Lavrov told journalists after his meeting with Powell that the permanent Security Council members and Russia's partners in G8 supported its proposal of adopting a Security Council resolution on stepping up interaction in the struggle against international terrorism.
According to Lavrov, Russia's key partners "reacted highly positively to the idea of drafting a new Security Council resolution and taking other types of measures" to combat terrorism.
These steps "will be directed at a practical improvement of the co-operation of security services and other institutions of state power at the national level," said the minister.
Russia also suggested elaborating measures "to cut short the sources of financing terrorism and to increase responsibility and unavoidable punishment for terrorists," Sergei Lavrov concluded.
