New Delhi: India and Russia have set up a joint group on counter-terrorism, a meeting of which would be held later this year.

The decision to set up the counter-terrorism group was taken during talks, visiting Russian leader Vladimir Putin had with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee here in November 2002.

"The counter-terrorism group, which would be a sub-group of India-Russia joint working group (JWG) on Afghanistan, has been operationalised and its modalities worked out. It will meet later this year," an External Affairs Ministry spokesman said on March 31.

The details and modalities of this group were finalised at the 6th meeting of JWG on Afghanistan, which was attended by Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal and Russian First Deputy Foreign Minister Vyascheslav Trubkinov in Moscow on March 28.

The spokesman said the new group on counter-terrorism would act as a "feeder" body for the JWG on Afghanistan.

At the JWG meeting, the two sides discussed the situation in Afghanistan and the threats to regional peace and stability from terrorist activity in the region and efforts aimed at strengthening international mechanism to fight international terrorism.

"Serious concern was expressed over the escalation of subversive and terrorist activity by the Taleban and al-Qaida remnants and others, and their efforts to regroup with support from outside," a joint statement issued after the JWG meeting in Moscow said.

PTI