Russia and China to expand cooperation in fighting against terrorism

Russia and China have agreed to expand cooperation in fighting terrorism and extremism, the Russian Foreign Ministry said following a visit by Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Syromolotov to Beijing.

The sides discussed pressing issues in the sphere of fighting international terrorism. "Common understanding was registered on the importance of creating a broad anti-terrorist front to fight the Islamic State terrorist organization, on taking comprehensive measures on countering the phenomenon of foreign terrorist militants, including in the context of minimizing risks for the Central Asian region," TASS cited the ministry as saying.

"The principled positions of the countries on the importance of maintaining the UN’s central coordinating role in global anti-terrorist efforts, which should be free from a politicized approach and double standards, were confirmed. "An agreement was reached on gradual expansion of bilateral cooperation in fighting against terrorism and extremism, including on key international platforms – the UN, SCO, BRICS, APEC," the ministry added.