France seeks cooperation with Russia in counterterrorism efforts

France has expressed the importance of cooperating with Russia in the ongoing fight against terrorism.

Nicolas Lerner, the head of France General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI), emphasized this stance in a recent statement, highlighting the critical need for continuous collaboration between intelligence agencies, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media.

Lerner stressed that the principle of cooperation between intelligence services is to maintain an open line of communication, especially in matters related to counter-terrorism, with few exceptions.

In response to a question about whether Russia should participate in the joint efforts against Islamist terrorism, he explained, "When relations between heads of state or diplomatic networks deteriorate, the line of intelligence services should operate at all times," while adhering to the principles of secrecy and confidentiality.

According to Lerner, maintaining this channel of communication is essential for fostering an atmosphere of trust and ensuring the effectiveness of counterterrorism cooperation between nations.

In April, Russian Ambassador to France Alexei Meshkov stated that contacts between Russia and France regarding the fight against terrorism had been severed, despite the historically effective cooperation between Moscow and Paris in this area.

By Vafa Guliyeva