Russia calls on US to mull creating mutual cybersecurity group

WASHINGTON, Sep 14 (PRIME) -- Moscow has called on Washington to consider its suggestion to form a bilateral group on cybersecurity, the Russian embassy in the U.S. said late on Wednesday in a statement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said after the July G20 meeting that there should be no uncertainty in cybersecurity matters between Russia and the U.S., and a projected bilateral working group would exclude any speculations in the future.

“It is with great concern that we’re witnessing daily reports from the russophobian front in the U.S., including the deprivation of diplomatic immunity and actual liquidation of several official representative offices of Russia, limitation of the right to use certain premises of Russian property, attacks on Russian mass media, RT and Sputnik, and now followed decisions regarding Kaspersky Lab’s antivirus products,” the embassy said.

“Russophobia is also converting into unfair competition in the information field and influencing the markets of software products.”

“We see all the above as links in a chain. These steps cannot but invoke the deepest regret. They are only alienating prospects of restoration of bilateral cooperation, distracting from mutual solution of primary tasks, which is international terrorism in the first place.”

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security earlier ordered all federal branches and agencies to discontinue using Kaspersky Lab’s products over worries about the company’s possible ties to the Kremlin. Kaspersky Lab denies all the accusations, which it says are groundless, and hopes further investigation would confirm its innocence.

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