February 18, 2020
The XIII Meeting of the Heads (Chiefs of Staff) of the national anti-terrorism centers of the Commonwealth member-states was held in Moscow on 18 February 2020.
The event brought together delegations of the security agencies and intelligence services of 9 states, including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan; delegates from the CIS bodies, including Executive Committee, Coordinating Service of the Border Troops Commanders Council, Secretariat of the Defense Ministers Council, Council of Financial Intelligence Units Heads, Office for Coordinating Fight on Organized Crime, Coordinating Council of Prosecutor Generals, Council of Customs Services Heads, Interstate Aviation Committee; partner organizations – Executive Committee of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure and CTSO Secretariat.
In his opening remarks the Head of CIS ATC Andrey Novikov stressed that the Meeting’s agenda was formed with due regard for short-term evaluation of the terrorist threats to the Commonwealth states and pre-agreed priorities of cooperation in combating terrorism and extremism.
The subject Meeting is focused on solving practical counter-terrorism tasks, coordinating the competent authorities’ stands as well as sharing best practices in this area, Andrey Novikov added.
The Meeting participants noted the trends and factors affecting security of the CIS member-states at the present time. Among them are formation of sleeper cells from the individuals returning from the conflict zones, continued recruitment into terrorist and extremist organizations, dissemination of terrorist and extremist content by members of terrorist organizations (terrorist propaganda); terrorist employment of new technologies, use of robototechnics and scientific achievements in digital technology.
Andrey Novikov highlighted that the core interest of the participants was linked with the national anti-terrorist units’ expertise in countering lone wolves and terrorist sleeper cells as well as interstate cooperation in their identification.
Basing on the short-term forecast of the situation development, the CIS Anti-Terrorism Center has identified the following directions of cooperation and coordination of efforts in combating terrorism and extremism as priorities:
• countering activity of lone wolves and terrorist sleeper cells, interstate cooperation in their identification;
• conducting filtration and preventive work with individuals returning from the conflict zones;
• carrying out counter-terrorist ideology information campaigns, including build-up of counter-narrative technologies and information countering to destructive processes;
• countering financing of terrorism and material support for members of international terrorist organizations;
• capacity building of interstate and international search within the CIS.
The CIS ATC Head expressed his gratitude to the participants for the open and interested dialogue about the burning and topical problems common for all the CIS states as well as for the committed position in solving the issues of collective security of the CIS member-states.
A working meeting of the representatives of the CIS security agencies was held on the sidelines of the Meeting where the participants discussed preparation to the Joint Anti-Terrorism Exercise “Caspian-Antiterror – 2020” focusing on the technologies of the Caspian region security.
“The concept of the drill is currently elaborated and a list of participants is under consideration”, the CIS ATC Head Andrey Novikov said.
