"Real results in the fight against international terrorism have been achieved in Syria," the president said. "In many aspects, due to Russia’s comprehensive assistance to the legitimate Syrian government, the militants were defeated."

BISHKEK, June 14. / TASS /. Militants in Syria were defeated in part to the help Russia provided to Damascus in the war against terrorism, said Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit on Friday.

Members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) need to do everything possible to prevent terrorists from getting hold of chemical and biological weapons, Putin stressed.

"We believe that it is important… to stop terrorists from using drug trafficking revenues and make everything possible to prevent them from getting their hands on chemical and biological weapons or other kinds of weapons of mass destruction," the Russian leader pointed out.

According to Putin, the fight against terrorism and extremism remains one of the SCO’s top priorities. He pointed out that Moscow stood for close cooperation aimed at thwarting terrorist propaganda and extremist ideas on the Internet and the use of information and communications technologies for criminal purposes. Putin also said that in order to boost joint efforts in that area, the leaders of SCO countries planned to endorse a concept of cooperation in the field of digitization and information technology at the Bishkek summit.

The Russian president welcomed the SCO’s successful development and the strengthening of its positions at the regional level, and added that following the Bishkek meeting, Russia would take over the SCO chairmanship for 2019-2020.