Russian defense minister urges global effort in fight against terrorism

MOSCOW, April 27. /TASS/. The global community must unite for fight against international terrorism on the basis of President Vladimir Putin’s initiative to set up a broad anti-terrorist coalition, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Wednesday. "Terrorism has become problem number one for all of us. Clear illustration to it is the crash of a Russian passenger plane over Sinai, the recent terrorist attacks on Europe, rampage of terrorism in the Middle East where some states are on the brink of losing statehood, the situation in Afghanistan, militants’ attempts to gain an additional stronghold in countries of the Asia-Pacific region and Central Asia," Shoigu told the fifth Moscow conference on international security. "It is obvious that time has come for the global community to unite," he went on. This "can and must be done" on the basis of Putin’s initiative. "Of course, it is necessary to act in close coordination with the countries that bear the main burden of fight against terrorism and extremism," he added. "I want to emphasize that any attempt to flirt with terrorists, divide them into bad and good, and all the same arm them for attaining selfish political goals - are not just shortsighted, but criminal," Shoigu said. Read more