Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, July 07, 2003
Putin Cancels Visits to Uzbekistan, Malaysia After Moscow Blasts
Russian President Vladimir Putin cancelled his planned visits to Uzbekistan and Malaysia due to the Saturday terrorist bombings in Moscow, the Interfax news agency reported on Sunday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin cancelled his planned visits to Uzbekistan and Malaysia due to the Saturday terrorist bombings in Moscow, the Interfax news agency reported on Sunday.
The series of suicide-bomber blasts, breaking out at the Tushino airfield in northwestern Moscow during a popular outdoor concert, killed 15 people, including the two female suicide attackers, and injured scores of spectators at the festive event,latest information from the Moscow Health Department said onSunday.
Putin was due to start a visit to Uzbekistan on Sunday.Uzbek President Islam Karimov, whom Putin informed about thecancellation by telephone, said he understood the Russian leader's reasons for staying at home.
Karimov extended deep condolences to families and friends ofthe terrorist act victims and expressed solidarity with the peopleof Russia, who have experienced a barbarian attack of international terrorism, according to Itar-Tass.
Karimov also expressed solidarity with the Russian people.Later in the day, Putin also had a telephone conversation with the Malaysian premier Mahathir bin Mohamad, whose country Putin planned to visit after his trip to Uzbekistan.
The Malaysian premier said he understood Putin's reasons and extended deep condolences to the people of Russia, who had suffered from the terrorist attack.
Putin and Mahathir expressed confidence that their countries would keep building up their relations.
Condolences also came on Sunday from Kazakh President NursultanNazarbayev, who told Putin by telephone that the bombings had shocked the Kazakh people, expressing a sense of solidarity withthe Russians and strongly denouncing the terrorist act.
Russian Interior Minister Boris Gryzlov on Saturday blamed theterrorist attacks on Chechen rebels, and suggested the blasts wereconnected with the Kremlin's announcement the previous day thatpresidential elections would be held in the rebel province in October.