Russia’s FSB says terrorism declining

The Chief of Russia’s Federal Security Service, the FSB, says while a number of attacks were stopped during the recent elections, overall terrorism activity is dramatically declining.

Nikolay Patrushev made the admission at an international security service meeting in the Siberian city of Khanty-Mansisk.

The FSB head said Russia's economy, transport and infrastructure were still the main targets.

However, he said the anti-terror system in the country is working well.

“The amount of terror acts is practically halving in Russia each year. It is happening not by chance – it is a result of the concerted efforts of the government in combating terrorism. Thanks to the preventative measures a number of terror acts were averted in 2008, during the presidential elections in Russia as well,” Patrushev said.

Nikolay Patrushev added that 54 nations sent representatives to this year’s security service meeting. However, he regretted that Georgian and British services were not represented.
 
In Summer 2007, Russia's Foreign Ministry refused a British request to extradite Andrey Lugovoy, the main suspect in the murder of former security agent Alexandr Litvinenko. In response London announced that contacts between British and Russian security services would be restricted.

Howard Stoffer from the UN’s counter-terrorism Committee said “since terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, there have been unprecedented efforts to fight terrorism on a global level, to have unprecedented co-operation and to have meetings like this”. 

He added that meetings like the one organised in Russia “is a tremendous step forwards”.