INDULGING SEPARATISM IS EXTREMLY DANGEROUS, SAYS RUSSIAN PRESIDENT'S AIDE








LONDON, March 12 /from RIA Novosti's Sergei Kudasov/ - Indulging separatism is a highly dangerous thing since the Chechen example might send echoes to many other countries, said Sergei Yastrzhembsky, an aide to the Russian President. He was addressing a London conference of a three-way non-governmental commission uniting many noted politicians and businessmen of the world.


	According to Yastrzhembsky, one should realise that events in Chechnya are only part of a broad process of activation of extremist forces in the Middle East. The regime that was in power in Chechnya not only flagrantly flouted Russia's constitutional law, threatening its indivisibility and territorial integrity, but was also criminal in terms of international law. Chechnya, he said, became sort of a testing ground for international terrorists and Islamic extremists. It was used to try out  technologies not only for partitioning Russia but also for implementing plans of men "like bin Laden" on the world stage.


	The aide also said that "it is particularly hard to post" the world community's unawareness of threats posed to it by international terrorism and religious extremism. He believes that the spread of terrorism, extremism and separatism should be resisted by steady and resolute actions of the entire international community rather than by the "none-of-my-business" principle. "Khattab, Basayev and their likes are not just rebels; they are terrorists of an international calibre dreaming to extend their order to the whole world," he indicated.


	Yastrzhembsky pointed out that the Chechen issue can be resolved only by political and economic means. This is the meaning of the recent decisions by the Russian President to cut down federal troops in Chechnya, form a Chechen government and increase financing for the republic's rehabilitation, said the presidential aide.