Tajik President Emomali Rahmon has expressed concern about the growing smuggling of drugs from Afghanistan and the increasing attempts by Afghan terrorist groups to cross the country's state border.
"We have noticed a surge in the activities of various terrorist groups within Afghanistan's borders. Over recent years, we've encountered numerous attempts by these groups to illegally cross our state border," Rahmon stated during the Fifth Consultative Meeting of Central Asian Heads of State in Dushanbe. "There was a significant increase in drug seizures by our law enforcement agencies, revealing that in 2022 alone, they confiscated approximately 5 tons of narcotic drugs at our border with Afghanistan, representing a 22% increase compared to 2021," he said.
Rahmon also highlighted the recent thwarting of an attempt by Jamaat Ansarullah militants (banned in Russia) to carry out a series of terrorist attacks in the capital and other regions of the republic, which was intercepted on the border with Afghanistan.
Furthermore, Rahmon expressed his concern over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and reaffirmed Tajikistan's commitment to utilizing its border infrastructure and logistical capabilities to deliver targeted aid to the Afghan people. He emphasized that their objective is to create favorable socio-economic conditions that contribute to stabilizing the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.
The Fifth Consultative Meeting of Central Asian heads of state is taking place from September 14 to 15 in Dushanbe, with participation from Presidents Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, Sadyr Zhaparov of Kyrgyzstan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov of Turkmenistan, and Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan. Notably, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan was invited to the meeting as a guest of honor, marking the first time a non-Central Asian head of state has participated in this capacity.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS