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Russia, League of Arab States confirm need for struggle against terrorism — Lavrov

Lavrov recalled that the joint statement adopted at the meeting expressed support for the Russian presidential initiative for creating a wide anti-terrorist front under the aegis of the United Nations
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Nabil Elaraby, Secretary-General of the Arab League Anton Novoderezhkin/TASS
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Nabil Elaraby, Secretary-General of the Arab League
© Anton Novoderezhkin/TASS

MOSCOW, February 26. /TASS/. Russia and the League of Arab States have confirmed the need for resolute struggle against terrorism and propaganda of extremist ideologies, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after the third ministerial level meeting of the Russian-Arab Cooperation Forum on Friday.

"We share a common stance confined to the need for uncompromising struggle against this absolute evil by military means and by plugging the loopholes being used to support the terrorists, including the so-called Islamic State, and of course, the need for struggle against the propagation of the ideology of extremists and terrorists," he said.

Lavrov recalled that the joint statement adopted at the meeting expressed support for the Russian presidential initiative for creating a "wide anti-terrorist front on the universal international legal basis and under the aegis of the United Nations."

"Highly welcome are efforts along the track of struggle against terrorism that are being taken within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the CIS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the efforts exerted by the LAS members in terms of anti-terrorist propaganda and of creating the basis for the prevention of a situation where terrorism may be taking roots in ever more countries," he added.

"We considered specific crises and conflicts in the region. We did that on the basis of common principles implying the recognition of the right of peoples determine their own future and the future of their countries, the impermissibility of external intervention in the internal political processes, the need for respecting the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries of the region," Lavrov said. "From this angle we reviewed efforts by the world community, in which Russia and the countries of the Arab world are involved, for promoting the settlement of crises in Syria, Yemen and Libya and for normalizing the situation in Iraq, Somalia and other countries."

Lavrov pointed out that in the capacity of members of the International Syria Support Group the participants in the meeting confirmed their commitment to all agreements achieved within the so-called Vienna Group and the UN Security Council and reaffirmed support for the Russian-US initiative for terminating hostilities starting from 00:00 hours of Saturday, February 27.