The address was read out by Sergey Naryshkin, the director of the Foreign Intelligence Service.
"Today, in challenging geopolitical conditions, your constructive interaction is especially important," Putin said. "It is necessary to prevent destabilization both in the CIS and in the neighboring regions. For this, as before, it is essential to identify any negative trends and potential threats to collective security."
To strengthen security, intelligence services should not only scrutinize threats but also "forecast their development and exchange information and experience," Putin pointed out. "I am certain that this meeting will become a significant step in deepening partnership to the benefit of our state and people and enhancing peace and security in the cooperation space."
Putin described the meeting as a way "to build new forms and mechanisms of cooperation by intelligence services that are adequate to the challenges of the time."
AzVision.az