Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised the work of the country’s security forces, along with international cooperation, for having ensured a safe World Cup tournament.
A police cooperation center staffed by law enforcement officers from 34 countries was inaugurated last month to monitor potential fan violence. The month-long tournament concluded Sunday without any major security incidents, despite concerns raised in the run-up over possible racist, hooligan and terror attacks.
Putin thanked the 126 members of the international police cooperation center outside Moscow, including the FSB, for “intense” work in ensuring a safe World Cup for foreign fans and dignitaries alike, the Kremlin said.
“I expect that your close and constructive interaction will continue and will contribute to ensuring the security of our states and our citizens in the future,” Putin was cited as saying Sunday.
The president noted that nearly 25 million cyberattacks had been warded off during the tournament and that an estimated 2 million construction workers and volunteers underwent security checks.
“This work was unobtrusive and inconspicuous for most people, meaning that you had done your job well, understood each other and acted professionally as one team,” Putin said.
On Sunday, Russia handed over the mantle of World Cup host to Qatar, which will stage the 2022 edition of the tournament.
Reuters contributed reporting to this article.
