MOSCOW, July 16. /TASS/. Foreign interference in Russia's internal affairs is a constant factor and tends to intensify ahead of election cycles, but the unity of the Russian people remains a reliable safeguard, Deputy Secretary of Russia's Security Council Yury Kokov said in an interview with TASS.

"Interference in our country's internal affairs is a permanent phenomenon which intensifies ahead of election cycles, when the threats of terrorist and extremist crimes also increase significantly," he said.

According to Kokov, attempts to destabilize the situation from within have failed to produce the desired effect.

"Our centuries-old history and the unity of our people serve as a reliable safeguard," he stressed.