"Our committee is working on legislative initiatives for making amendments in and additions to the federal laws On the Foreign Intelligence Service and On the Organs of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation. The goal is to specify and broaden their goals in preventing and investigating manifestations of terrorism, including counteracting international terrorism," Gudkov said.
The committee has also prepared amendments into article 14 of the federal law On the Struggle Against Terrorism. In line with the amendments, it is proposed to introduce a legislative ban on the passing to hostage-takers of money and other valuables to be used as ransom in the talks with the terrorists.
Gudkov also said that a set of other amendments to the federal antiterrorist laws are in preparation.
Overall, the Russian legislative base is sufficient for combating terrorism and now a quality reform of the secret services is needed.
"Antiterrorism now depends not so much on legislation as on the efficiency of observance of the existing laws," Gudkov noted.
"The main problem is that we still lack an efficient tool for combating terrorism," he said.
