Russia calls for depoliticized UN counterterrorism cooperation on 9/11 anniversary

UNITED NATIONS, September 12. /TASS/. Moscow consistently supports depoliticized counterterrorism cooperation based on the norms and principles of international law, Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya said at a UN Security Council meeting marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States.

"Timely and uninterrupted information sharing, mutual legal assistance, working contacts between competent authorities and the joint development of responses to evolving terrorist methods should remain priorities. Terrorists always seek to exploit divisions, distrust and a lack of coordination among states. Our response should be the opposite: a unified approach, mutual trust and a willingness to act together when it comes to protecting human lives and our common security. This is one of the key lessons of September 11 and our duty to those we remember today," he said.

"International relations are going through a difficult period today. States’ positions differ sharply on many issues. However, the fight against terrorism must not become a hostage to geopolitical confrontation. The cost of weakening cooperation in this area is measured not in political consequences but in human lives," the envoy added.

The Russian diplomat noted that "the terrorist threat has not gone away" and, on the contrary, "is becoming more widespread and adaptable. <…> All these threats are transnational in nature and require a coordinated international response. No state, regardless of its capabilities, can effectively counter terrorism alone," Nebenzya said.