Author: Mike Nova

MOSCOW, 24 April (TASS) –  Both radical groups and intelligence services of certain countries are behind terror attacks in various parts of the world, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his video address to participants in the 12th International Meeting of High Representatives for Security Issues, TASS has reported.

“Undoubtedly, international terrorism remains one of the gravest threats of the 21st century. The objectives behind terrorist attacks occurring across various regions are not solely driven by radical groups, but also involve the intelligence services of certain nations. Their aim is to undermine constitutional foundations and destabilize sovereign states, fuelling interethnic and interreligious discord,” the Russian leader said.

The tactics employed by these criminals are becoming increasingly complex and barbaric, the Russian president pointed out. According to him, this was demonstrated by the bloody terrorist attack on the  Crocus City Hall in Moscow Oblast on 22 March that killed 144 people and left 551 people injured.

“Russia’s intelligence services and law enforcement agencies are investigating and scrutinizing every detail of this despicable act, identifying all the parties involved, including instigators, sponsors, and orchestrators. None of them should escape just punishment,” Vladimir Putin said.

The Russian leader also noted that Russia is prepared for close collaboration with all interested partners to uphold global and regional security and to establish a new multipolar international order that aligns with the interests of the majority of nations. He noted that during the current conference the representatives of different countries “will analyze the global landscape, discuss key aspects of global and regional stability, and share opinions on ways of enhancing responses to the most urgent and perilous contemporary challenges.”

According to him, the meeting will pay special attention to the protection of the information space from external and internal threats, since this topic is relevant for all countries and is extremely important for national security, social stability, and economic development. The behavior of states in cyberspace should be governed by uniform and binding norms.

When opening the international meeting on security, Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolai Patrushev said that the unpredictability and conflict potential in international relations have increased significantly. In his opinion, the situation in the world is becoming more and more dangerous and unpredictable, mainly due to the unwillingness of some countries to give up their hegemony. This creates conditions for the devaluation of international law and its institutions and the erosion of the UN’s central role in resolving global and regional conflicts.