Spotlight: Russian experts urge for joint int'l anti-terror efforts in wake of Brussels attacks

Terrorism represents a universal threat, and the only way to put an end to it is through joint efforts of all countries, Russian experts said Wednesday.

"If the United States, NATO, China and Russia join forces, terrorists will have no chance to survive," said Adalbi Shagoshev, member of the State Duma, the lower house of Russia's parliament.

A round table discussion was held Wednesday over the fight against international terrorism following Tuesday's deadly explosions in Brussels, Belgium.

Over 30 people were killed and more than 180 others injured in the latest string of terrorist attacks in Europe.

The extremist group Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the terror attacks, which put Belgium and other European countries on high alert.

Russian experts noted that Europe currently is facing with a thorny problem of terrorist threats.

According to Alexei Mukhin, director general of a Russian think tank Political Information Center, there are currently in Europe experienced organizers and coordinators of terrorist attacks, as well as killers.

These people have lived on the territory of the European Union for quite some time and have been integrated in its society, Mukhin said.

Besides, in the last two years, Europe has been flooded by refugees, which also included "terrorist infantrymen", or people ready to conduct sabotage operations in European cities and to become suicide bombers, Mukhin said.

Noting the complicated anti-terror situation in Europe, experts also blamed western countries for dealing with terrorism not seriously enough.

Vladimir Yevseyev, a military expert, said the West and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) were wasting immense resources aimed at protecting themselves against the fictitious Russian threat.

"If these resources were used for detaining militants, and blocking the way of penetration by terrorists disguised as refugees, then the security of the European Union could have been guaranteed," Yevseyev said.

He warned that terrorist attacks would increase if Europe does not change its policies.

Experts also believed it is possible for terrorists to infiltrate into Russia from Europe, which is a serious threat to Moscow.

To cope with such possibilities, Sergei Markov, director of the Institute for Political Studies, suggested that special services of Russia and NATO should resume cooperation not only in Europe, but also in those countries where many terrorists originate, including in the Middle East.

Yevseyev, also an expert on Eurasian integration, said that China's Belt and Road Initiative could help "reduce the social base of terrorism" by creating job opportunities.

By implementing this project, he said, a number of enterprises would be built in Central Asia and other countries, creating multiple new jobs for local population. Endit