YAROSLAVL, July 29. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed concern over the intensified terrorist activity, especially in the Middle East and North Africa, the president said in a greeting message sent on Wednesday to the participants in the XIV meeting of security chiefs of foreign countries — partners of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB). FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov read out the message.
"Your forum that gathers strong delegations from dozens of states, has for many year been a valuable venue for discussing a broad range of professional problems, exchange of experience and working out the most efficient cooperation models," Putin’s message says.
"The current meeting agenda is very relevant, it focuses on issues of effective response to the global challenges," the message says. "The intensified terrorist activity and radical groups’ merger with transnational organised crime, pose a particular danger today. The situation in the Middle East and North Africa causes extreme concern. The terrorists are trying to use this region as a foothold, they are recruiting and training new fighters, which could be used to destabilize other states."
"It is obvious that only the consistent and systematic work, a joint concerted action — on the solid basis of international law will make the fight against this threat successful," the Russian president’s message says.
Putin said in the message he was confident that the forum’s "substantive, constructive discussions will seriously contribute to the strengthening of partnership between the intelligence services and law enforcement agencies of our countries."
The two-day international security chiefs’ meeting that opened in Yasroslavl on Wednesday is attended by 92 delegations from 64 countries and four international organizations — the United Nations, Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the European Union. The FSB Public Relations Centre said previously that the problem of the growing threat form the international terrorist organisation Islamic State will be high on the meeting agenda.