MOSCOW, December 15 /TASS/. The recent hostage-taking incident in Australia makes it imperative to join efforts in fighting terrorism rather than Russia, Vladimir Dzhabarov, acting head of the Federation Council Committee for Foreign Affairs, told journalists on Monday.
“Life shows that no one is protected against terrorists in the contemporary world. It proves once again that countries should unite efforts against a terrorist threat, which is real for the whole world, instead of focusing on fighting Russia over Ukraine,” Dzhabarov said commenting on the hostage-taking incident in a Sydney cafe.
He wished his Australian partners to solve the hostage-taking crisis peacefully and urged them to join efforts in fighting terrorists. “It’s a field where we should join our efforts,” the Federation Council member said.
“When Australia starts making political statements to demonstrate its more serious role in the international arena, especially in the Middle East settlement, it should understand that it is dragging itself into a very serious struggle against international terrorism,” Igor Morozov, a member of the Federation Council Committee for Foreign Affairs, said in turn.
Morozov described as a bluff the remarks of American partners that it is possible to do without Russia in the Middle East settlement. "By saying so, the United States is deluding its allies including Australia,” Morozov said.
“It is necessary to pool efforts, find points of convergence and build a strategy of fighting international terrorism if we really want to confront it,” Morozov stressed.
Earlier on Monday, an unknown armed man took hostages in a Sydney cafe. A black flag with an inscription in the Arabic language appeared in the cafй window. It was held by two hostages for some time.