Putin Urges to Join Efforts in War on Terror

MOSCOW- Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that tackling the issue of combating terrorism and efforts to resolve the situation in the Middle East and North Africa require a consolidated and balanced approach.

“The agenda of the current conference (the Moscow Conference on International Security) includes serious issues that require a balanced and consolidated approach,” Putin noted in his welcome address to the participants in the conference. “These are, above all, the fight against terrorism as a major threat to the global and regional security and stability along with the issues related to the political and diplomatic settlement of numerous conflicts, primarily, in the Middle East and North Africa.”

 According to Itar Tass, the Russian president’s address was read out by Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolay Patrushev.

Putin noted that special attention at the conference should also be paid to countering other, no less important challenges.

The head of state emphasized that the conference in Moscow that had become a tradition is known for its busy agenda and authoritative participants representing military agencies, international organizations, scientific and political circles. “I am confident that open and constructive debates at the forum will provide a good opportunity for the participants to exchange experience and information and expand professional contacts,” Putin noted. “This direct, fruitful dialogue strengthening partnership is crucial today.”

Russian General Staff: West ignores Moscow’s offers to pool efforts to fight terror

Valery Gerasimov, Chief of Russia’s General Staff, said that Western countries ignore Russia’s proposals to combat international terrorism.

“The West ignores our proposals to pool efforts in the struggle against international terrorism. Since 2015 Russia has been fighting radical terrorist groups in Syria, containing terrorism away from its borders and preventing its penetration into Russia and Europe. The lack of tight cooperation and interaction between our countries in the struggle against terrorism creates favorable conditions for the ISIS (terrorist organization outlawed in Russia),” Gerasimov explained.

The Chief of General Staff underscored the string of high profile terrorist attacks that inflicted heavy losses and fatalities throughout Europe lately (France, Germany, Belgium, Britain, Sweden and Russia), for which the ISIS is responsible.

“There have been no steps towards a rapprochement, though. The leaders of the European Union and NATO have been conducting biased policies and pointing to Russia as the one to blame for all the world’s negative developments,” Gerasimov noted.

The US missile strike against a government airdrome in Syria was quite indicative in that respect, the chief of staff said.

“Although there was no proof at all that the Syrian military used chemical weapons the strike was supported by practically all European countries,” he added.

Western countries stepping up propaganda war against Russia

The West is stepping up its information war against Russia trying to downgrade its role in the fight against international terrorism, according to Gerasimov.

“Western countries are stepping up a tough propaganda war unleashed against Russia. When sifting through reports by European and US media outlets, one gets the impression that practically all negative events taking place in the world are the work of either Russia’s intelligences services or Russian hackers,” Gerasimov pointed out.

Lavrov Urges ‘Open and Transparent’ Investigation of Idlib Chemical Incident

The Russian foreign minister called for a professional and transparent investigation of the Idlib chemical incident.

An investigation of an alleged chemical weapons incident in Syria’s Idlib province should be open and transparent, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at an international security conference Wednesday, According to Sputnik.

“Provocations like those that occurred in Khan Shaykhoun on April 4 require a professional investigation under the auspices of the OPCW, on a geographically balanced basis, and such an investigation should be open and transparent,” Lavrov said.

Shoigu: US missile strike against Syria a gross violation of international law

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told the Moscow conference that the US missile strike was a gross violation of international law.

 “In addition, Washington’s actions have created a threat to the lives of our soldiers, who are in Syria fighting terrorism,” Shoigu said.

The Russian senior diplomat also blasted the US attack on Syria, saying Washington’s violence against the Arab country undermines the chances of creating a broad anti-terror coalition, while constituting “a flagrant violation of international law and an act of aggression against a sovereign state.”

Military intervention unacceptable

Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolay Patrushev has said military intervention in the affairs of the countries that are actively resisting terrorism is unacceptable.

“It is important to make sure that the fight against this threat (terrorism) does not turn into a pretext for exerting pressure on sovereign countries, the way it happens in some regions of the world,” he said speaking at the Moscow Conference on International Security on Wednesday. “Moreover, attempts to intervene militarily in the affairs of the countries effectively resisting terrorism are inadmissible.”

Patrushev emphasized that terrorism “has no national identity and requires a collective response.” He added that new footholds of the so-called “Islamic State” and other international terrorist organizations are being established in various regions of the world. In light of this, the secretary of Russia’s Security Council pointed to the importance to establish effective cooperation between law enforcement agencies, including exchanging information on the movements of foreign militants and planned terror attacks, the forms and methods of their activities and specific suspects. “The Russian Federal Security Service’s databank to counter terrorism provides optimal opportunities for that,” he said.

He noted the need for closer coordination within the UN and other international organizations and “efforts to counter attempts to shield terrorists from the sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council.”

According to Patrushev, international terrorism is closely intertwined with transnational organized crime, including drug crimes. “It is necessary to go over to developing effective mechanisms to bring them (new psychoactive substances) under national and international control and ensure effective cooperation between countries in countering attempts aimed at undermining the international legal regime in drug control,” he said.

H.M