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Russia and CSTO effectively cooperate to combat threats from Afghanistan — diplomat

As Maria Zakharova stressed, the risk of infiltration by terrorists and criminals from the territory of Central Asian countries into Russia under the guise of refugees from Afghanistan is of particular concern

MOSCOW, November 3. /TASS/. Moscow effectively cooperates with its member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in the fight against threats emanating from Afghanistan, including terrorism and the influx of refugees, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a weekly briefing on Wednesday. 

"We have effective cooperation with our CSTO partners to counter common challenges and threats from Afghanistan: they are the spread of terrorism, drug trafficking as well as refugee flows," she said.

As the diplomat stressed, the risk of infiltration by terrorists and criminals from the territory of Central Asian countries into Russia under the guise of refugees from Afghanistan is of particular concern. "We proceed from the fact that the issue of curbing migration flows from Afghanistan is directly related to the domestic political and, of course, the economic situation in this country. Establishing normal living conditions, security guarantees, stability in Afghanistan should lead to the fact that there is no need for Afghan citizens to seek shelter anywhere outside their homeland," Zakharova pointed out. "We believe that the key role in this should be played by those countries whose twenty-year military presence has resulted in the current pathetic state of affairs in Afghanistan."

The Taliban (outlawed in Russia) mounted a massive operation to regain control over Afghanistan after the United States announced the withdrawal of its military personnel from the country. On August 15, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani stepped down and fled the country, as Taliban forces swept into Kabul, without encountering any resistance. On September 6, they claimed full control of Afghanistan’s territory and on September 7, they declared a new interim government, which has not yet been recognized by any country.