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Operations in Syria, Iraq likely to oust terrorists into Afghanistan — Kazakh president

"The more pressure on those terrorists in Iraq and Syria, the more they are eager to leave for Afghanistan," Nursultan Nazarbayev said
Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev Mikhail Metzel/TASS
Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev
© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

ASTANA, November 4. /TASS/. Pressure exerted on terrorist groups in Syria and Iraq could end up in their ousting into Afghanistan, Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev said in an interview with Japanese journalists in the run-up to his official visit to Japan. Kazakhstan’s TV channel Habar aired the interview on Friday.

"The more pressure on those terrorists in Iraq and Syria, the more they are eager to leave for Afghanistan," Nazarbayev said. At the same time, he noted that no threat existed for regional security so far, saying "there are not any visible threats as of today, there are no such fears."

"Turkmenistan has the longest border with Afghanistan, followed by Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. As far as I know, everything is calm in those states, but they have been taking some measures," he said.

The death of Uzbek President Islam Karimov had not affected the level of stability in the region, Nazarbayev noted.

"Now we can see that nothing dangerous is happening here," he said. "They will hold elections and will vote for a new president who will be pursuing the same policy — the policy of stability and protection of the state," Nazarbayev said.

Nevertheless, he believes that not only Kazakhstan has fears that a threat of terror could emerge so the country should meet the situation head-on.