DUSHANBE, September 7, Asia-Plus – Itar Tass – Security services of the CIS states predict that activity of terrorists can move to the Central Asian region in the coming several years, the CIS Antiterrorist Center head Andrei Novikov remarked at the ongoing conference of the chiefs of security services and law enforcement agencies in the Russian City of Khabarovsk.

According to him, this move could be explained by large reserve of uranium ore in the region.  “The criminals will also seek access to technologies of producing the so-called dirty bomb,” Novikov said.

The sixth conference of the chiefs of security services and law enforcement agencies opened in Khabarovsk on Thursday. 

Nikolai Patrushev, the director of the Russian Federal Security Service, said that consistent attempts by terrorists to come into possession of radioactive materials and gain access to nuclear technologies was one of the most serious contemporary challenges.

In his speech at the 6th international session of security service chiefs and the heads of law enforcement agencies in Khabarovsk, Patrushev focused on the need to implement the global initiative designed to fight against nuclear terrorism.  Patrushev expressed the hope that the discussion would be meaningful and constructive.

Seventy-eight delegations from 55 countries are taking part in the event. Four international organizations such as the Anti-Terror Committee of the UN Security Council, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the regional anti-terrorist structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization have also sent their delegates to Khabarovsk.

The participants in the forum are discussing cooperation of security services and law enforcers in implementing global initiatives to fight acts of nuclear terrorism.

Other topics in the agenda include ways of upgrading interaction in the struggle against international terrorist organizations, measures against the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes, the improvement of information exchanges, including prospects for creating an international database for fighting terrorism and forming the database of the regional anti-terror group of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Besides, the meeting is also discussing preventive measures against the recruitment of new members of terrorist organizations.