MOSCOW, July 25. /TASS/. Almost all current major terrorist groups have been created, supplied and financed by special services that implement the decisions of Western countries, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev said at a BRICS meeting in South Africa.

"Almost all major contemporary terrorist groups have been created, supplied and financed by special services implementing the political decisions of the leadership of Western countries," he said at a meeting of high representatives in charge of security issues from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa in Johannesburg, according to the Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper.

He said terrorism "as it now exists, is a direct tool to promote the influence of the US and its satellites."

According to Patrushev, Moscow regards joint counterterrorism efforts as one of the priority areas of cooperation within BRICS.

"We oppose the politicization of international anti-terrorist cooperation and the application of double standards in this area. We are convinced that the fight against terrorism must be based on universal norms and principles of international law," the official said.