MOSCOW, September 17. /TASS/. The first Russian-Dutch inter-agency consultations on cybersecurity took place on September 16-17 in The Hague, Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Friday, adding that the sides stated the necessity to prevent a confrontation in the cyber sphere.

"The first Russian-Dutch inter-agency consultations on security in the field of security in informational and communication technologies took place on September 16-17, 2021, in The Hague," the statement says. "The agenda included a wide array of security-related issues in the use of IT at global and regional platforms, as well as on the bilateral track. The sides stated the necessity to prevent conflicts and any kind of confrontation in the IT sphere, to use IT for peaceful ends, and strengthen the international cooperation in countering informational crimes."

The Russian delegation included representatives of Ministries of Internal Affairs, Foreign Affairs and Defense, as well as Prosecutor General’s Office, Investigative Committee, and Federal Security Service.

The Dutch delegation was represented by experts from Foreign Ministry, Ministry of Justice and Security, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Economy and Climate Policy.