Vladimir Putin: Threat of terrorism in North Caucasus is still real

"Despite apparent positive developments, the situation in the North Caucasus is improving too slowly. The terrorist threat and security challenges are not completely eliminated," the President of Russia Vladimir Putin said today at an enlarged meeting of the Security Council of Russia.On the agenda of today's meeting of the the Security Council was to review the main directions of the state policy in the North Caucasus developed by the Russian government."The government has worked out the main directions of the state policy in the North Caucasus Federal District. Today we will look at them," Vladimir Putin said, opening a meeting of the Security Council, RIA Novosti reports.The president said it was "a new policy document," which takes into account the current state of affairs in the region and has "a wide range of tasks and activities, both short- and long-term."The President explained that the socio-economic development of the region, improving safety and public confidence in the work of the authorities and human rights are important parts of the policy."We will continue to respond firmly to violations of human rights and freedoms in the North Caucasus, and to bring to justice those responsible. But we should also not ignore scapegoating by some foreign media and international organizations reports of the so-called widespread violations of human rights in the North Caucasus. They should take a better look at themselves, they themselves have plenty of irregularities," Putin said.