University Staff Member at the Fourth Counter-Terrorism Forum in the Republic of Belarus
From October 7 to 8, 2026, in Minsk (Republic of Belarus), ahead of the summit of the CIS heads of state in Turkmenistan, the Fourth Counter-Terrorism Forum opened, bringing together the CIS Conference on Countering Terrorism and Extremism, the international research-to-practice conference of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO RATS), and joint counter-terrorism exercises of the competent authorities of the CIS participating states and SCO member states.
The event was organized by the State Security Committee of the Republic of Belarus, the Anti-Terrorism Center of the CIS Member States (CIS ATC), and the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO RATS).
Before the conference began, forum participants took part in a ceremonial wreath- and flower-laying ceremony at the Victory Monument in Minsk.
The plenary session was addressed by Alexander Zuev, Acting Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Head of the UN Counter-Terrorism Office; Ivan Tertel, Chairman of the State Security Committee of the Republic of Belarus; Nurlan Seitimov, Deputy Secretary-General of the CIS; Oleg Kopylov, Deputy Secretary-General of the SCO; Ularbek Sharsheev, Director of the Executive Committee of the SCO RATS; and Evgeny Sysoev, Head of the CIS ATC.
Dmitry Medvedev, Head of the Basic Department of International Cooperation in the Field of Security at Gubkin University, delivered a presentation entitled “Experience in Creating and Implementing a Counter-Terrorism Teaching and Methodological Package at an Industry-Specific University” at the thematic session “Scientific and Educational Support for Counter-Terrorism and Counter-Extremism Activities”.
The forum was attended by more than 300 delegates. It was organized to give practical effect to the decision adopted in 2025 at the CIS Heads of State Summit to establish a new cooperation format, “CIS+”. Following the forum in Minsk, the joint counter-terrorism exercises of the competent authorities of the CIS participating states and SCO member states, “Eurasia-Antiterror – 2026”, were held.
Assessing current challenges and threats, the speakers noted that the international situation is characterized by continuing geopolitical uncertainty and an unprecedented rise in military and political tension, which is provoking a global economic crisis and negatively affecting the development of the situation in the field of countering terrorism and extremism. In this regard, they emphasized the importance of strengthening international cooperation and comprehensive dialogue on the counter-terrorism track.
