ASTANA, April 3. /TASS/. The special services of Russia and Kazakhstan are in constant contact about how to counter terrorism, Kazakh President Kassym Jomart-Tokayev said, speaking at the 19th annual meeting of secretaries of security councils of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states in Astana.
The president’s press service quoted him as saying that the recent attack in the Moscow Region that took the lives of scores of civilians was a testament to the violence and inhumanity terrorists are capable of.
"Kazakhstan immediately stated its firm condemnation of this terrorist attack and expressed its solidarity with Russia. The two countries’ special services are in constant contact on issues of interaction in the area of countering terrorism. The global community, including those countries present today, firmly condemns the terrorist attack that occurred near Moscow," the Kazakh leader emphasized.
He went on to say that "the UN Security Council emphasized the need to bring all of those guilty to justice, as well as the importance of international cooperation to counter terrorism. The main goal for us is to come to the right conclusions and take practical, necessary measures. We need to protect our citizens and address the terrorist threat in a proper way.
The 19th annual meeting of security council secretaries from SCO member states is taking place in Kazakhstan’s capital of Astana on April 2-3. Tokayev noted that such meetings are especially important amid the organization’s increasing responsibility in maintaining collective security. "Last year, 183 regional and local conflicts occurred worldwide, which represents a rise of almost 30%. This is the highest figure in the past 30 years. Experts believe that a global cycle of conflicts and violent actions is unfolding. The international terrorism threat is becoming stronger against this backdrop," the president admitted.
On March 22, terrorists attacked the Crocus City Hall concert venue just outside the Moscow city limits. According to the latest data, 144 people were killed and 551 suffered injuries. The Russian Investigative Committee said it had found evidence that the attackers were linked to Ukrainian nationalists.