Security Council Secretaries Discuss Terrorism

Russian Security Council Chairman Vladimir Rushailo announced at a press conference on Friday that the Committee of Security Council Chairmen of States Signatory to the Collective Security Treaty had paid particular attention to "interaction in the fight against international terrorism" during a session in Minsk. The representatives from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kirghizia, Tajikistan and Armenia focused on anti-terrorist operation in Afghanistan. The participants confirmed that international terrorism was a "long-term" problem and that it was essential to reach a new level of interaction to realise the initiatives which were put forward at the extraordinary session in Dushanbe on October 8th this year. It was stressed that the CIS anti-terrorist centre should hold regular meetings in an effort to solve the problem of terrorism. It was pointed out at the session that the drug trade was "an inalienable part" of terrorism, providing it with funding and, therefore, presenting a serious threat to the national security of all countries. Rushailo proposed that international cooperation be expanded to fight the spread of narcotics. Following an initiative voiced at the session, CIS foreign and defence ministers will discuss interaction on a Commonwealth-wide scale.