Lukashenko Sends Greeting to Participants of Counterterrorism Forum in Minsk

Lukashenko sent greetings to participants of the Counterterrorism Forum taking place in Minsk on October 7–8. The head of state noted that Belarus is located at a historical crossroads of global routes and civilizations, and the Belarusian people deeply value peace and stability.

"The fight against terrorism stands at the forefront of global security for countries and regions. Its coordinators and perpetrators recognize neither state nor moral boundaries, killing and maiming civilians, including the elderly, women, and children, using increasingly sophisticated and technological methods, including artificial intelligence, drones, cryptocurrencies, and closed segments of the global network used for propaganda, recruitment, financing, and preparation of terrorist acts."

The President emphasized that Belarus's position remains unchanged: terrorism is a challenge that can only be overcome collectively through close cooperation among key political actors and coordinated actions of competent intelligence services worldwide. Therefore, in 2019, when Minsk hosted a UN-organized international counterterrorism conference, Belarus proposed the idea of creating a unified counterterrorism front—an integration of efforts by the UN, OSCE, CIS, CSTO, SCO, and other international structures.

"I am confident that this forum, held during a significant anniversary year—the 35th anniversary of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the 25th anniversary of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the signing of the Shanghai Convention on Combating Terrorism—will become a practical realization of our initiative and a logical follow-up to the joint SCO and CIS counterterrorism exercises 'Eurasia-Antiterror-2026'."

The President wished participants fruitful work and successful outcomes that would strengthen international cooperation against terrorism and extremism and enhance mutual trust among special services across the Eurasian region.