MOSCOW (Sputnik) – First Deputy Chairman of the Council of the Federation Ilyas Umakhanov spoke to reporters after meeting with Syrian State Minister for National Reconciliation Affairs Ali Haidar.
"We are conducting large-scale efforts through various channels and structures – schools, media, religious organizations – in order to prevent another recruitment wave of young people to the ranks of terrorist organizations and, above all, ISIL," Umakhanov explained.
"Some of them have been deceived, and some are just criminals who found refuge there," Umakhanov said.
He stressed that, despite a drop in overall bilateral trade, Russian-Syrian military and technical cooperation continues to develop.
Syria has been in a state of civil war since anti-government protests escalated in 2011, with government forces mounting a two-front campaign against rebel and extremist groups, including ISIL.