YEREVAN, November 23. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that the situation in Afghanistan is challenging and militants are likely to infiltrate the member countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organization.
"I share the concerns of my colleagues who have spoken out about the situation in Afghanistan. It remains, of course, challenging. The risk that militants of various international terrorist organizations infiltrate the territory of the CSTO member states is still high, and the spread of extremist ideologies among the population of the Central Asian countries increases the risk of a resurgence of clandestine radical groups in the region," he said at the organization’s summit.
Putin said that this concerns all of the group’s members.
He also said Russia considers it necessary to continue close coordination within the CSTO on all key aspects of the Afghan issue. According to the Russian leader, it’s necessary to continue close cooperation through the relevant authorities for the timely detection of threats of terrorism, extremism and drug crime.
"And, of course, [it’s necessary] to neutralize these threats with the help of joint special operations and operational measures that have proven their effectiveness," he said.
The Russian president said Moscow will also seek to stabilize the situation in Afghanistan through other multilateral mechanisms.
"Last week, I want to inform you about this, a meeting of the Moscow format of consultations was held in the Russian capital: Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran, India. And the five Central Asian countries," he said.
In addition, Putin continued by saying the priority now is "to ensure the formation of a truly inclusive Afghan government, which will include representatives of all ethnic groups at the right level.".