Russia and China activating anti-terrorist cooperation

The third session of the Russo-Chinese ad hoc group on fighting terrorism is to be held in Beijing before the end of the year, the Russian Federation foreign Ministry Information and Press Department reported.

The previous, second, session of the ad hoc group took place in Moscow this week. The Russian delegation was headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Safonov, the Chinese one - by First Deputy Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing. The session was followed by a Joint statement. The sides exchanged their views on the whole set of international and regional issues in the sphere of fighting terrorism.

In particular, the sides stressed the UN's, and first of all its Security Council's, key role in international efforts to fight terrorism. They confirmed the UN's and its SC's crucial coordinating role in the matter of post-conflict settlement and social and economic revival of Afghanistan. The ad hoc group also noted the UN's particular role in enhancing a universal international legal basis for the fight against terrorism.

The delegations spoke for the UN to accomplish its work on the draft Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism /India's initiative/ and the Nuclear Terrorism Convention /submitted by Russia/ as soon as possible. The group underlined that the sides would coordinate their efforts and contribute to the swift accomplishment of work on the blueprints.

Besides, the session emphasized on antiterrorist cooperation at a regional level. Issues of anti-terrorist cooperation within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization /SCO/ were elaborated. Paramount attention was paid to further steps to set off the practical work of the SCO regional anti-terrorist structure, the establishment of which was envisaged by an agreement, signed at the SCO St. Petersburg summit.

Discussing terrorist threats in the Central Asia, the sides expressed mutual interest in enhancing stability, maintaining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the region's states.

The ad hoc group called for liquidating terrorist activities in Afghanistan and giving cooperation to prevent their renewal in the future as an important step to ensure security in the Central Asia.