Federal Security Service: Situation in Chechnya changing

The situation in Chechnya has recently changed with the significant reduction in the number of rebel groups, said Federal Security Service Director Nikolai Patrushev yesterday. He added that not long ago there were many different rebel groups with several hundreds of soldiers. Now there are only a few, which are directed by scores.'

Patrushev visited St. Petersburg to participate in the conference entitled 'Improving cooperation of CIS countries in the battle against international terrorism and its financing.' State Duma Chairman Gennady Seleznev and Federation Council Speaker Sergei Mironov also participated.

Patrushev said that Russian security forces are interested in additional information exchanges with other countries about the activity of international terrorists, acting in the Northern Caucasus and other regions. Moreover, he said that it was also necessary to use joint efforts to close off channels of financing and also material and propaganda assistance to terrorists. 'In this connection we are counting on the widening of multi-lateral exchanges of important information with CIS countries,' said Patrushev.