Russian Military Calls for Coordinated Counterterrorism Mechanisms in CIS States

Russian Chief of the General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov has called on The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) states to create a coordinated mechanism to counter terrorism within the bloc's borders.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) should elaborate mechanisms on countering terror threats, Russian Chief of the General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov said on Tuesday.

"Amid the increasing terrorism threats and instability on the Commonwealth's borders, the concerted and coordinated actions are necessary to counter them, as well as close cooperation of the military authorities to create adequate response mechanisms," Gerasimov said at the meeting with Chief of General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces Movses Hakobyan.

Gerasimov noted that chiefs of staff of the CIS states would have an opportunity to discuss the issue on the sidelines of the international scientific and practical conference on military aspects of countering terrorism, based on the experience of military operations in Syria, which would be held later in March.

On February 8-9, the CIS Executive Committee in Minsk held an expert group meeting to conduct consultations on draft documents regarding the military cooperation of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

CIS is a regional organization formed by former Soviet Union members in the 1990s. The organization aims to promote economic, political and cultural cooperation.