BEIJING (Sputnik) - Russia and China will continue cooperation in the fight against terrorism, including through multilateral mechanisms, after the terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall concert venue near Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday.
"I thank the Chinese side for their condolences in connection with the terrorist attack in the Moscow region on March 22, and for supporting Russia’s fight against terrorism; all those involved will certainly be punished. And our cooperation on counter-terrorism will continue, including within the framework of multilateral institutions," Lavrov said during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.
Lavrov also noted that the Russian presidential election held in March took place under conditions of "severe external pressure from the West and a surge in terrorist attacks by the Kiev regime."
"As you know, shelling of Russian cities has become more frequent, leading to civilian casualties, and numerous attempts by hackers to hack our electoral system have been detected," the Russian diplomat added.
On March 22, several armed men entered the Crocus City Hall venue and started shooting indiscriminately at concertgoers. They also started a fire in one of the auditoriums, which was full of people ahead of a concert. The attack left 695 casualties including 144 dead, according to the latest data from the Russian Emergencies Ministry.
The four main suspects in the case tried to flee the scene in a car but were detained and charged with terrorism. Russian authorities believe their plan was to flee to Ukraine, where the masterminds of the attack had arranged a safe haven for them. An investigation is underway.