MOSCOW, October 28 (RIA Novosti) - Russian Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage reiterated the strategic character of counter-terrorism cooperation between their countries. The two officials met in Moscow Thursday.
Addressing the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State prior to the Kremlin talks, Mr Ivanov said that the very fact of Mr Armitage visiting Russia only days before the presidential polls in his home country (November 2) attested to the strategic character of Russo-American cooperation, ongoing regardless of changes in the political situation.
Mr Armitage is currently in Moscow in his capacity as Co-Chair of the U.S.-Russian Counter-Terrorism Working Group. At his meeting with the Russian Security Council chief, he said he also believed that anti-terrorist cooperation between Russia and the United States is built on a strategic foundation and that it does not depend on what forces are currently in power.
Mr Ivanov then pointed out that the U.S.-Russian Counter-Terrorism Working Group has been doing very important work. "Today, issues related to coordination of international and bilateral efforts in the fight against terrorism and other threats are of exceptional importance for national security of Russia and the U.S., as well as for global security," he stressed. The Russian official called on American counterparts to join forces in working out collaborative measures to effectively counter transnational threats such as terrorism.
As Mr. Ivanov sees it, anti-terrorist cooperation between Russia and the United States was stepped up in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, both as part of bilateral schemes and within the framework of international organizations, such as the UN and the G8.
Related issues have always had priority importance [on the agenda] of U.S-Russian presidential meetings, and the Counter-Terrorism Working Group has been ensuring the practical implementation of their agreements in this area, noted the Russian Security Council Secretary.
The U.S. Deputy State Secretary agreed with Mr Ivanov that the two countries should continue to work together in the fight against global terrorism. In recent years, no other country has suffered from terrorism as much as Russia has, and history will harshly condemn us if we fail to make consistent efforts to rid humanity of this evil, Mr Armitage pointed out. Speaking on behalf of the U.S.-Russian Counter-Terrorism Working Group, he promised to further promote cooperation between the two countries in the war on terrorism.
