TOKYO, June 1. /TASS/. France has been in contact with Russia regarding the terrorist attack on the Crocus City Hall music venue outside Moscow, and this is an example of partnership in such areas as the war on terror, regardless of current disagreements, French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said at the Shangri-La Dialogue forum in Singapore.
"France was criticized for maintaining contact with Moscow and the Russian authorities following the terrorist attack on Crocus. However, the French intelligence agencies had some elements [of intelligence] which might have been part of the evidence [in the investigation] and would have helped to learn the truth about the attacks," he said, speaking in French.
"Notwithstanding the serious disagreements we have with [Russian President] Vladimir Putin, we decided to hand the information about the terrorist act that we had over to the Russian Federation. It is one very practical example of the partnership which we can have amid the fight against terrorism and organized crime," he added.
On the evening of March 22, four terrorists attacked the Crocus City Hall music venue in Krasnogorsk, Moscow Region, just outside the Moscow city limits. The death toll is 144 and 551 more people were injured, according to the latest data. Later that day, the four gunmen - Dalerzhon Mirzoev, Saidakram Rachabalizoda, Shamsidin Fariduni and Muhammadsobir Faizov - were detained in the Bryansk Region, southwest of Moscow, as they attempted to flee to Ukraine across the nearby border. Later, six individuals suspected of being complicit in the attack - brothers Aminchon and Dilovar Islomov and their father Isroil Islomov, as well as Alisher Kasimov, Lutfullo Nazrimada and Yakubzhoni Yusufzoda - were detained and placed under arrest. The investigators said that all of them knew about the planned terrorist attack and helped the gunmen.
The Russian Investigative Committee said that it had established the connection between the suspected terrorists and Ukrainian nationalists.
On April 4, Lecornu spoke by phone with then Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu. French President Emmanuel Macron said in comments on that phone talks that Paris needs to cooperate with any country facing the risk of terrorist attacks. According to Macron, the phone call was held at France’s initiative to express solidarity with the Russian minister and share information. Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said later that he had no confirmation France allegedly shared with Russia data concerning the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall.