President Vladimir Putin sent Eduard Shevardnadze a response to the Georgian president's recent message on the heightened tensions between the two countries. In his message, Putin wrote that he is "seriously concerned by the further activity" of Chechen fighters on Georgian territory. Putin said Russia does not accept Georgia's "tactic of peacefully squeezing out the terrorists from the Pankisi Gorge" and "insists on decisive, concrete, and purposeful actions for the destruction of bandit formations." Putin also said Russia wants to see the Pankisi Gorge blocked and all the fighters there disarmed and turned over to Russia. He offered to send Russian security and law enforcement officials to help Georgia achieve these goals. (RIA-Novosti)