MOSCOW, May 26. /TASS/. Some Western countries actively use terrorists to serve their own purposes, providing them with advanced weapons and intelligence, Alexander Venediktov, deputy secretary of the Russian Security Council, said at the opening session of the International Security Forum.

He also noted that the crisis in the Middle East had accelerated Europe’s economic decline trajectory.

Venediktov added that the West continued efforts to create a global network of secret biological laboratories.

TASS has gathered the key statements made by the Russian Security Council deputy secretary.

Western biolaboratories

"A network of secret Western biolaboratories is being established around the world.

"The increasing use of chemical and biological weapons" to put pressure on independent states is becoming a negative trend.

Western countries’ support for terrorism

A number of Western countries actively use terrorists to serve their own purposes, providing them with advanced weapons and intelligence: "Security challenges and threats such as terrorism and extremism are still present, as developments in Mali clearly show. However, certain Western countries not only fail to combat radicals but actively exploit them for their own purposes. Terrorists are supplied with modern weapons, provided with cutting-edge surveillance and reconnaissance equipment, and receive intelligence support."

Europe's economic decline

The conflict in the Middle East has accelerated Europe’s deindustrialization, leading to its further decline: "Almost all countries across the world have already been affected by the consequences of the Middle East crisis. Special mechanisms are being used to contain fuel prices that are adding an extra burden to state budgets. We can see a decline in industrial production, a decrease in investment activity, and a rise in inflation pressure. These trends have accelerated deindustrialization processes in Europe, leading to its further decline."

First International Security Forum in Moscow

The International Security Forum in Moscow began with a moment of silence in memory of those killed in a Ukrainian attack on a college in Starobelsk.

Venediktov announced that over 150 delegations would take part in the First International Security Forum: "The exact number has yet to be confirmed because the accreditation process is not over yet. However, it is already safe to say that over 150 delegations are going to participate in our forum, while the total number of participants will exceed several hundred."