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Russian defense chief suggests enlisting private sector to assist in demining Syria

Russia's defense chief also hopes that the United Nations Mine Action Service will join the process in the near future

MOSCOW, April 26. /TASS/. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has put forward the idea of attracting commercial enterprises to join the humanitarian demining mission in Syria and creating a special international fund that would finance this operation.

"Concerning the most recent [demining operation in Syria - TASS], I should point out that the Russian Centre for Humanitarian Demining unit has uncovered and neutralized practically all explosive devices. However, there is still a lot to do for sappers in the country. We hope that the United Nations Mine Action Service [UNMAS] will join the process in the near future," he said during the opening of the 6th Moscow Conference on International Security.

"We suggest forming a coalition of countries that could contribute to the demining process in Syria. Moreover, we think it’s necessary to create a fund of specialized commercial companies to finance the demining efforts," the minister added.

The Syrian experience 

Russia is ready to share with its partners the experience of using combat aircraft to fight terrorists in Syria:

"On our part, we are ready to acquaint our colleagues with the experience gained in Syria in using the Russian Aerospace Force’s aviation considering the specifics of tactical methods used by terrorists," the defense minister said.

The Russian weaponry and military equipment proved their high combat capabilities in complex conditions, the defense minister said.

At the 6th Moscow conference on international security, Defense Minister Shoigu, and also the heads of the country’s Security Council and Foreign Ministry will outline Russia’s vision of the international situation and the causes why this situation has become less stable.

More than 700 guests have arrived for the conference, including defense ministers and delegations of defense ministries, representatives of the expert community and academic circles from 85 countries, and also the leadership of the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and other organizations.