State Council of the Russian Federation endorsed actions of the country leadership in respect of the situation in South Ossetia

The State Council of the Russian Federation gave endorsement to actions of the country leadership in respect of the situation in South Ossetia and Abkhazia and discussed issues of national security. Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiev took part in the meeting of the Russian State Council.
 

"Russia cannot be weak, and for this purpose it needs defense capacity, strong economy and internal consolidation, we should keep working on it," Mintimer Shaimiev believes.

"Attempts to resolve inter-ethnic problems by force are a dead end," he emphasized. Shaimiev marked that for settling such ethnic conflicts "it is necessary to work patiently, this is the only right way."

In his opinion, events in Caucasus resulted in such consolidation of Russia that was nonexistent for a very long time.