Russia has intensified contacts of the Security Council, the military and special services with the neighboring states of Afghanistan, Secretary of the Security Council (SC) of the Russian Federation Nikolai Patrushev said in an interview with the Izvestia newspaper.
"Contacts through security councils, power structures, special services, and military agencies with the states closest to Afghanistan, first of all, with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, but also with China, Iran, India, and Pakistan, have already been activated," Patrushev said.
According to him, the situation in Afghanistan is under the scrutiny of the Russian security council. "At one of the next operational meetings with the permanent members of the security council, this issue will be the main one. Additional measures to ensure stability in the region will be discussed," Patrushev added.
The secretary of the Russian security council pointed out that the potential of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is also actively involved in the work. "In order to ensure security in Central Asia, we will welcome closer cooperation with the CSTO of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan," Patrushev noted.
He also listed challenges in Central Asia that have arisen in light of recent events. "Our priority task is to ensure control over migration flows from Afghanistan, protect the region from the movement of terrorists across the border in the guise of refugees, from the spread of radical ideology, arms smuggling and drug trafficking," summarized the Russian security service secretary.
The fighters of the Taliban movement (a terrorist organization banned in Russia) established full control over Kabul on August 15 within several hours. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani announced that he was leaving the country to prevent bloodshed. The vice-president of the republic, Amrullah Saleh, said that in the absence of the head of state, he became acting head of the country by the constitution and called for armed resistance to the Taliban. Western countries evacuate their citizens and embassy staff.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
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Based on materials from TASS