Russian President speaks at Reichstag

(25 Sep 2001)

POOL
1. Wide shot of interior of Reichstag
2. Putin, accompanied by Schroeder and Wolfgang Thierse, speaker of the house, walks into applause
3. Cutaway of members applauding Putin
4. Putin walks to his chair
5. Cutaway of Putin listening to speech
6. Putin walks up to podium to address the Reichstag
7. Close up of Putin at the podium
8. Putin gets out of car and shakes hands hands with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Joschka Fischer, German Foreign Minister
9. Putin, Schroeder and entourage walk into building together
10. Wide shot of Schroeder and Putin at news conference
11. SOUNDBITE: (Russian) Russian President Vladimir Putin
"It's been said that terrorism must be dealt with in a systematic and effective way."
12. Cutaway of media
13. Side view of Putin at podium
14. SOUNDBITE: (Russian) Russian President Vladimir Putin
"I repeat again. Terrorists will never win."
15. Schroeder and Putin at news conference

STORYLINE:

Russian President Vladimir Putin urged the world on Tuesday to set aside Cold War suspicions and focus on what he called the real danger - international terrorism.

The attacks on New York and Washington proved that Russian warnings about the threat of Islamic extremism were warranted, Putin said, while pledging to support a U.S.-led international alliance against terrorism.

In a rare speech by a foreign leader to the German parliament, Putin suggested that "stereotypes" of east-west confrontation lingering from the Cold War had allowed terrorism to flourish in the shadows.

Starting a three-day visit to Germany, Russia's staunchest European friend, Putin found a sympathetic audience for his effort to connect Russia, Europe and the United States in a new, common struggle.

Putin's first trip west since the September 11 attacks also gave him a remarkable platform to lobby an influential partner for trust - he held virtually all of his speech in fluent German, a language he learned as a Soviet KGB officer in East Germany.

Lawmakers responded with repeated applause and a standing ovation at the end.

Putin gave no new details on how far Russia would go to help U.S.-led efforts to hunt down Osama bin Laden, the Saudi-born millionaire that Washington suspects is behind the attacks.

But Moscow's experience in combating Islamic extremism, its knowledge of Afghanistan, bin Laden's base, and influence over neighbouring Central Asia would make it a valuable partner.

Earlier in the day, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who has built up a personal relationship with Putin in three previous summits, praised the Russian for his support.

For Putin, the three-day state visit to Germany is a chance to work on the partnership with Moscow that Europe, and especially Germany, have been eager to promote since the end of the Cold War.

Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...