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Afghan quagmire may trigger critical-level tensions, warns Moscow-led bloc’s brass

According to the assessment of the Chief of the CSTO’s Joint Staff Colonel General, the majority of foreign countries are showing their commitment to dialogue with the Taliban in order to normalize the situation

MOSCOW, October 14. /TASS/. After the Taliban (outlawed in Russia) seized power in Afghanistan, developments there have led to growing instability in Central Asia and can worsen even further, Chief of the CSTO’s Joint Staff Colonel General Anatoly Sidorov warned on Thursday.

"A combination of factors is contributing to the increased instability in the Central Asian collective security region and can potentially trigger the escalation of tensions to a critical level," Sidorov cautioned.

According to his assessment, the majority of foreign countries are showing their commitment to dialogue with the Taliban in order to normalize the situation. "The nature of the actions of foreign officials suggests that they have to engage in dialogue with the Taliban in order to stop the growth of regional extremism," Sidorov added.

Defense officials and members of the media from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan participated in the event via video conference.