Russia, US should cooperate closely on terror: Putin

Moscow, April 25 (IANS/RIA Novosti) President Vladimir Putin Thursday said the Boston Marathon tragedy should prompt Russia and the US to cooperate more closely in dealing with such threats.

"I just call for this tragedy to be an incentive for us to become closer in tackling common threats, with terrorism being one of the most important and dangerous of them," The Russian president said during his televised question-and-answer session.

"If indeed we combine our efforts, we won't take such hits and sustain such losses," Putin said.

He said he had always resented it when terrorists who committed "savage, bloody, appalling crimes on Russian territory were referred to in no other way but rebels, and were seldom or never called terrorists" by Western media and politicians.

"They received aid, information support, as well as financial and political [aid]. Sometimes directly, sometimes indirectly, but they always had it for their activities on Russian territory," Putin said.

"But we have always said that we should not just make statements about it being a common threat, we should take the matter into our hands and cooperate with each other more closely," the Russian president said.

--IANS/RIA Novosti

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