AKIPRESS.COM - A conference attended by some 100 participants from 20 countries on international cooperation in countering terrorist and extremist organizations through the use of modern communication technologies concluded in Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan at the weekend.

The three-day event was organized by the Kyrgyz government and the Anti-Terrorist Center of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) with support of the OSCE Center in Bishkek and a local NGO, the Civil Initiative on Internet Policy Public Fund.

Welcoming the participants, Kyrgyzstan’s President Almazbek Atambayev stated that there was a clear awareness in the country that extremism and terrorism cannot be resolved by force only.

“It is extremely important for us that our country is an example of the search for new methods of work with the population and positive cooperation with religious leaders, in order to achieve the objective of sustainable secular development,” he said.

Manuel Marion Mainer, Senior Program Officer at the Action against Terrorism Unit of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department, said: “We have to go beyond traditional approaches involving only the law enforcement and judiciary in the fight against crime. To prevent and counter terrorism effectively, we need collaboration among all state institutions and public authorities, as well as partnerships with civil society organizations and the businesses. Engaging youth and youth organizations is of paramount importance.”