MOSCOW (AFP) - President Vladimir Putin vowed that Russia would not stray from the path of democracy and free markets but told critics of his anti-terror security crackdown he put equal stock in domestic stability.
"Russia made its choice 10 years ago for a democratic, free market, socially oriented state," Putin said in an address to a conference of international news agency executives here.
"There will be no turnabout," he said.
But in a head-on response to Western governments that have questioned his proposals for fighting terrorism by strengthening Kremlin political control over the country, Putin said security was as important as democracy.
"For Russia, democracy and stability are of equal importance. We are managing to build a system under which Russia will have democracy and stability."
Putin's address came a day after he spoke by telephone with US President George Bush who, according to the White House, stressed the need to preserve democratic institutions while fighting terrorism at the same time.
The European Union has also questioned Putin's anti-terror proposals, which include replacing popular election of regional governors with the Kremlin appointing them and changes to the way state lawmakers are elected.
The Russian leader countered however that his proposal for making regional governors accountable to the Kremlin was an "optimal" solution for Russia and was a system like that already used in other countries which he did not name.
Putin sought to explain his plans to counter terrorism and bolster security in Russia with an anecdote suggesting that he had no choice at present but to other than to institute tough new security reforms.
"If a robber comes up to you on the street and demands your wallet or your life ... you of course give him your wallet.
"But what do you do if he demands either your heart or your head? Do you have a choice or not? He does not give you such a choice."
Russia has been rocked in the past month by a wave of attacks including the downing of two planes, a subway suicide bombing and a hostage crisis at a school that combined have left more than 440 people dead, many of them school children.
Putin said such attacks, which he has blamed on Chechen separatists and international terrorist groups, were a direct threat to all states which must be met with legislative and other measures aimed at minimizing the potential for terrorism while also strengthening civil society and democracy.
He said these objectives were "already pursued in the United States and in several other countries after September 11" and pledged similar moves in Russia would be constitutional and would respect international law.
The Russian leader spoke at some length about the use of language in describing terrorism as a phenomenon and in talking about the people who commit acts widely considered to qualify as terrorism as "terrorists."
"Yesterday, I specially consulted dictionaries and learned that 'terrorism' has Latin roots and means the same thing in any language.
"You cannot call people who commit inhuman atrocities 'rebels'," Putin said in reference to the term generally used to describe Chechens fighting Russian forces in the war-shattered southern republic.
He said mass media had an important role to play in the fight against terrorism, but denied that he sought to use this fight as a pretext to further curb press freedom in Russia.
"The struggle against terrorism cannot be used as an excuse to strangle the freedom and independence of the press, and we are not attempting to do this in Russia," Putin said.