Delegation of Russian Interior Troops Visits China

General Vyacheslav Tikhomirov, the Russian Deputy Interior Minister and commander of the country's interior troops, has today arrived in China as part of the cooperation programme between the Russian Interior Ministry and the Chinese Ministry of Public Security. This was announced by Vasily Panchenkov, the head of the interior troops' press service.

On his arrival in China, Vyacheslav Tikhomirov stated that the purpose of his visit is to discuss problems faced by both the Russian interior troops and the Chinese military police. 'The Chinese and Russian law-enforcement agencies share the same interests to a significant extent: these involve fighting ethno-separatism, international terrorism and crime, and regional extremism,' he stressed. 'The experience amassed by Russian interior troops during antiterrorist operations in Chechnya will undoubtedly be useful to the Chinese Ministry of Public Security's military police.'

The Interior Ministry delegation will spend four days in China and plans to study the combat training of Chinese military police, and exchange experience of military support operations carried out by the two countries' interior troops. Tikhomirov believes that the visit 'will make a further contribution to the collaboration between Russian and Chinese law-enforcement structures in the sphere of maintaining public order.' The delegation includes the commanders of the interior troops in the Moscow and Northern Caucasus districts, and other leading officials from the interior troops.