U.N. counter-terror panel for Kazakhstan

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 19 (UPI) -- The U.N. Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee chief says its upcoming Kazakhstan meeting will foster anti-terror network expansion in Central Asia.

Ambassador Andrei Denisov of Russia, the panel's president, Wednesday told reporters in New York the area has been haunted by terrorist activity and Kazakhstan capital of Amity was chosen for the Jan. 26-28 session, because the nation is a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

"Quite a number of CIS countries, including Russia, which is currently chair of the CIS, are victims of terrorist attacks," Denisov said.

With Afghanistan as a neighbor, Central Asia is one of the areas where "terrorism has deep roots," he said, "and it is very important to streamline the activities of the Central Asian countries and to focus attention on this part of the world in order to increase the global counter-terrorism capacity."

Dozens of international organizations and U.N. member states are expected to attend.

Past CTC meetings have been held in New York, Washington and Vienna.