Finnish and European leaders condemn kidnappings in Russia

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Finnish and European political leaders expressed their horror and disgust at yesterday’s hostage incident that took place at a school in Beslan in North Ossetia.
      ”To take children hostage is an exceptionally awful terrorist attack”, said Finland’s Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja on Wednesday night, on his arrival from a meeting of the Helsinki Process in Tanzania.
      ”These attacks appear to take place frequently in Russia, let’s just hope that this incident will end without major loss of life”, he added.
      ”We strongly condemn hostage-taking and kidnapping of children”, commented Director General Markus Lyyra of the Political Department at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs also on Wednesday evening.
      ”Finland’s stand on terrorism is clear. Finland along with the European Union has conveyed their condemnation of the siege”, said Lyyra.
     
Also the European Union High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, as well as the President of the European Council’s Parliamentary Assembly, Peter Schieder, expressed their horror at the kidnapping incident in North Ossetia on Wednesday.
      Germany’s Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer as well as Great Britain’s Prime Minister Tony Blair conveyed their disgust at the terrorist attacks in Russia, too.
      In his statement to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, Blair condemned the hostage-takers in the strongest terms: ”Nothing could justify this kind of cruel terrorist act.”
      According to Tuomioja and Lyyra, the situation in North Ossetia will certainly also be brought up at the informal EU foreign ministers' meeting that is to be held in Maastricht on 3 and 4 September.


Links:
  BBC News: Talks begin in school siege drama
  ABC News: Negotiators Work on Russia Hostage Crisis

Helsingin Sanomat