Moscow: ISIS attempts to use Afghanistan as a launching pad to threaten Central Asia and Russia

Moscow, October 16 (KUNA) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned on Friday that the so-called Islamic State is attempting to use Afghan territory as a launching pad to threaten Russia’s security and that of Central Asia. Speaking at the plenary session of the joint meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Moscow, Lavrov emphasized Russia’s continued support for Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

Russian media quoted Lavrov as saying that “ISIS seeks to undermine the efforts of the authorities in Kabul to achieve stability in Afghanistan,” warning that “extremists aim to use Afghan territory as a starting point to direct threats toward Central Asian countries and Russia.” He reaffirmed Russia’s ongoing assistance to Tajikistan to strengthen the security of the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border, as part of efforts to curb the spread of security threats from Afghanistan to Central Asian states.

Lavrov also stressed that Moscow would continue to provide all possible humanitarian aid to Afghanistan amid the economic and humanitarian challenges the country faces, and the need for sustained international support for its population.

In a related development, Lavrov announced that the Fourth Eurasian Security Conference would be held in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, on November 3 and 4, expressing his country’s hope for the participation of European countries in the conference’s proceedings. He explained that enhancing dialogue on Eurasian security requires broadening the circle of participants and exchanging views on common challenges, which would contribute to exploring ways to build a regional security system based on dialogue and mutual interests, according to Russian media reports.

Lavrov’s remarks came during the joint CSTO-CIS-SCO meeting hosted in Moscow on October 15 and 16 to discuss security challenges in Central Asia and Afghanistan and prospects for enhancing coordination among the three regional organizations. The topics under discussion include security risks associated with Afghanistan, ways to develop regional cooperation, as well as water, energy, and food security issues.

Russia attaches special importance to the security situation in Afghanistan given its potential repercussions on Central Asian countries, particularly regarding the activities of armed groups, extremism, drug trafficking, and border security. In this context, Moscow hosted the eighth round of Moscow Consultations on Afghanistan on October 5, with representatives from Afghanistan and several regional countries, including China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

During those consultations, Lavrov stressed the importance of enhancing the capabilities of Afghan authorities to combat terrorism through technical support, exchange of expertise, and improved communication between security and law enforcement agencies. He also reiterated Russia’s readiness to continue providing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.

Through these consultations and regional mechanisms, Moscow seeks to strengthen cooperation with Afghanistan’s neighboring countries on counterterrorism, drug control, and supporting stability in Central Asia, amid ongoing concerns about the activities of extremist groups and the repercussions of the Afghan situation on regional security. (End)