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Russia to use right of self-defense to fight terrorists — Russian Foreign Ministry

Moscow urges the United Nations Security Council to waste no time and pass a resolution on forming a broad anti-terrorist coalition

MOSCOW, November 17. /TASS/. Russia will use the right of self-defense fixed in the United Nations Charter to fight terrorists, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement released on Tuesday in connection with Kogalymavia’s A321 plane crash in Egypt on October 31.

"We consider the barbaric attack on our citizens in the context of the recent series of bloody terror strikes committed in Paris, Beirut, Iraq, Ankara and Egypt," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"Under these circumstances, Russia will act in compliance with article 51 of the United Nations Charter which provides for the right of a state to self-defense," the ministry said in its statement.

Moscow urges UN Security Council to swiftly pass resolution on anti-terrorist efforts

Moscow urges the United Nations Security Council to waste no time and pass a resolution on forming a broad anti-terrorist coalition.

"The crash of the A321 plane of Russia’s Kogalymavia air carrier in Egypt on October 31 that claimed the lives of 224 people, most of whom were Russian nationals, was caused by a terrorist attack. On instructions from Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Russian Foreign Ministry hereby notifies all foreign partners that Russia’s authorities concerned have started the search for the criminals responsible," the ministry said. "This work will go on until all accomplices have been identified, tracked down and brought to justice, wherever they may be at the moment."

"In this connection Russia is asking all states, organizations and individuals, all of its friends and partners to provide assistance in this effort in order to ensure the perpetrators should be properly punished," the ministry said.

"We hail growing understanding by all our partners of the necessity to consolidate efforts of the international community to exterminate the global terrorist threat. It is really a central task for all and it requires priority attention, and what is most important, actions with no preliminary terms or conditions," the ministry said. "We call on the United Nations Security Council to waste no time and finalize the draft resolution on forming a broad anti-terrorist front on the basis of the norms and principles of international law and the United Nations Charter that was initiated by Russia on September 30."

Russian parliament calls to form anti-terrorist coalition

Russia’s State Duma (lower parliament house) has called on lawmakers from Europe, North America, the Middle East and other regions of the globe "to spare no effort to form an international anti-terrorist coalition," according to a statement adopted on Tuesday following a series of terror attacks in France and Lebanon and the act of terror aboard the Russian passenger jet over Egypt.

"The Russian lawmakers share the grief and sorrow of the families of those killed in unprecedented brutal and large-scale attack of Islamic State gunmen in Paris and the crash of the Russian A321 plane in Sinai peninsula that was caused by actions of terrorists," the statement says.

"The recent tragic developments confirm the topicality of Russia’s continuous warnings that permanent destabilization in the Middle East by those who claim global dominance, primarily the United States, could lead to the expansion of the zone of bloody chaos and entail numerous human tragedies," the document says. "France and other European states are, as a matter of fact, reaping the consequences of Washington’s nearsighted and selfish policy."

"It is high time responsible countries of the world step over their tactical differences to follow the path of forming a broad anti-terror coalition following the lead of the anti-Hitler coalition as a example of unification of many countries and nations against common enemy," the statement underscores.

"It is obvious that the irresponsible and faulty policy of the West pursued under the slogan of ‘export of democracy’ has resulted in the emergence and strengthening of the so-called Islamic State. Attempts to use radical groups as a battering-ram to topple unwanted regimes are fraught with further negative scenarios," the document says. "In case no urgent and efficient measures, including of the military character, are taken chaos in the Middle East is threatening to engulf neighboring states and regions in a wave of violence."

"Terrorists who call themselves Islamic State have unleashed a real war not only against Syria and Iraq but also against France and other countries taking part in counter-terrorist operations," according to the statement. "It is time to pool efforts of the entire world community against terrorism. Only such consolidated efforts will stop the expanding terror."

The State Duma lawmakers call on members of parliaments in Europe, North America, the Middle East and other regions of the world to do their best to have an international anti-terror coalition formed. "We must do it to save human lives and realize out moral duty to victims of terror," the document says.

Terrorist attacks have claimed the lives of about 400 people in the past several weeks.

The Russian A321 passenger jet crash in northern Sinai on October 31 killed 224 people, including 25 children. According to director of Russia’s Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov, the crash was caused by a terrorist attack. On November 12, a series of blasts in a Beirut suburb claimed the lives of 44 people. A total of 129 people were killed and more than 350 wounded in a series of terror attacks in Paris on November 13.