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The parliamentary conference on Combating International Terrorism, co-organized by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the Interparliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States, concluded today in St. Petersburg, confirming the prominent role that international parliamentary diplomacy and co-operation can play in the fight against terrorism.

According to the OSCE press release, the conference cnclusions outline basic principles for responding to the terrorist threat, including establishing efficient interaction between national intelligence agencies, countering conditions conducive to the spread of violent extremism such as unresolved conflicts and marginalization of social groups, and strengthening domestic legal frameworks.

“National legislation must criminalize all assistance to terrorists; all activities involving economic relations with terrorist organizations need to be identified and severely prosecuted,” the document states. Preventing radicalization, as well as the supply of finances and materials to terrorist organizations and their access to weapons of mass destruction, are also highlighted as priorities.

In her address to the conference today, Speaker of the Russian Federation’s upper house of parliament Valentina Matvienko noted that the interaction of CIS countries plays an important role in countering terrorism. “We have managed to establish effective co-operation in this field in recent years. Considerable work is being carried out by the Antiterrorist Center of the CIS Member States,” she said.

Matvienko noted that this demonstrates the possibilities of countries acting coherently in the fight against terrorism.