MOSCOW, November 7. /TASS/. By promoting the concept of "fighting oppressive extremism", Western countries are ready to clear extremists of any criminal responsibility under the guise of combating authoritarian regimes, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at the 17th Meeting of Heads of Special Services, Security and Law Enforcement Agencies from FSB partner states.

He also recalled that the key role in combating the proliferation of terrorist and extremist ideology belongs to the states and their respective intelligence services, while international anti-terror cooperation should be built based on UN universal legislation. "Russia remains aloof towards any initiatives, which ignore the key principles mentioned above. I particularly mean the concept of "fighting oppressive extremism" promoted by several states," the Russian foreign minister noted.

According to the top diplomat, this concept doesn’t just ignore the approved legal framework of fighting terrorism but also "permits meddling in the internal affairs of sovereign states under the guise of supporting civil society against authoritarian regimes," Lavrov pointed out. "The authors of this concept are basically ready to justify extremists, and exonerate them from criminal responsibility.".