MOSCOW, November 18. /TASS/. The situation in Afghanistan prompts the need for additional security measures on Russia’s southern frontiers, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at an enlarged board meeting of the Foreign Ministry on Thursday.
"We face serious tasks in the Afghan direction, especially after the Americans have pulled out from that country," the Russian leader said.
As Putin pointed out, while continuing contacts with the Taliban (radical militant group outlawed in Russia), it is necessary to use more actively the formats of Moscow consultations and consultations of the extended Troika on the Afghan peaceful settlement with the participation of key external players and countries neighboring on Afghanistan for the purpose of establishing civil peace and public order, neutralizing terrorist structures and drug-related crimes.
"The developments in Afghanistan prompt the need for additional measures to ensure Russia’s security on the southern frontiers and provide assistance to Central Asian states as our allies, which perceive Russia as a guarantor of stability in the region. It is necessary to continue working in this mode, taking measures to prevent uncontrolled flows of refugees and prevent the infiltration of terrorists and other criminal elements through our border," Putin said.
Head of the UN mission in Afghanistan Deborah Lyons stated at a UN Security Council meeting earlier on Thursday that the Taliban, which had come to power in Afghanistan, were unable to stem the expansion of the Islamic State terrorist group (outlawed in Russia) on Afghan territory.
According to Lyons, in 2021, the number of terrorist attacks has increased significantly compared to last year, while IS-Khorasan militants are operating in almost all Afghan provinces.