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The participants discussed the situation on the Caucasus state border following increased instances of armed militants entering Russia from Georgia. President Putin said that Russia would exercise its right to self-defence if officials in Tbilisi did not put an end to terrorist activity from Georgian territory.

The President instructed the Federal Border Service Director, the Defence Minister and the Federal Security Service Director to report on the fulfilment of the former directives on the strengthening of Russia’s southern frontiers and also to draft and propose measures for the additional protection of the state border. The Defence Ministry was told to draft proposals together with law enforcement agencies on planning special operations to wipe out terrorist groups if they attempted to penetrate Russian territory.

The General Staff was instructed to submit proposals on the possibility and advisability of striking credibly identified terrorist bases in the course of a pursuit operation.

Earlier, on September 4, President Putin sent Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze a special message explaining his views on the ways of resolving the situation on the Russian-Georgian border adjoining the Pankisi Gorge.