MOSCOW, December 9. /TASS/. Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) forces will prevent terrorists from entering Central Asia from Afghanistan, Chief of the Russian General Staff General Valery Gerasimov told foreign military attaches at a briefing on Thursday.
"The CSTO will thwart extremists’ attempts to enter Central Asia from Afghanistan. The organization remains a reliable guarantor of security in Central Asia and is capable of ensuring the security of the countries of the region," Gerasimov pointed out. He also noted that "in order to put an end to the activities of international terrorist organizations, there are plans to carry out measures to maintain regional stability and security together with our partners from the CSTO and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization."
Russia’s top brass stressed that the activities of terrorist organizations, much encouraged by the success of the Taliban movement (outlawed in Russia) in Afghanistan, were the main factor of instability in Central Asia and the Middle East. "Terrorist organizations such as ISIL and Al-Qaeda (both outlawed in Russia) continue their intensive propaganda of the ideas of radical Islam. The number of their supporters in some countries of the region is growing. The process was triggered by the Taliban’s success in Afghanistan," Gerasimov specified.
At the same time, in his words, the security system that was established in the country during the presence of Western coalition troops turned out to be ineffective in combating domestic threats and collapsed even before the troop withdrawal process had been completed. "The consequences of the collapse created problems not only for Afghanistan’s neighboring countries and Central Asian nations but also for the entire international community," the chief of the Russian General Staff said.