Aleksandr Lukashenko: the CSTO and the SCO need to develop a consolidated position on Afghanistan

Aleksandr Lukashenko, President of the Republic of Belarus, proposes to develop a consolidated position of the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on the situation in Afghanistan.
According to BelTA, he said this during telephone conversations with the heads of several CSTO Member States. “If the SCO and the CSTO consolidate their position, we will overcome this situation. And we will also help the Afghan people to face all these difficulties and hardships. But if everyone plays the Afghan fiddle as they please, there will be trouble,” said Mr Lukashenko. According to BelTA, President of Belarus is concerned not only about the developments in Afghanistan, but also in the Middle East. “Situation in the neighbouring countries, in the Middle East, is difficult; all this radicalism that today, unfortunately, has objective grounds and reasons. The leading Western states meddled there and created an even worse situation than before. And, naturally, sparked an even greater radicalism. Who is guilty of that? They are,” the agency quotes Aleksandr Lukashenko as saying.
According to the agency, Mr Lukashenko touched upon Afghanistan during his meeting with Mahmadsharif Hakdod, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Tajikistan to the Republic of Belarus. “I just spoke to your President [Emomali Rahmon]. As a dear friend of mine, he spent half an hour talking about the situation in Afghanistan. I am very grateful to him for telling me frankly everything that is happening there. And how important it is for us to work with Tajikistan and other republics,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko.
He noted that the Republic of Tajikistan has a long border with Afghanistan. “The border should be reinforced; it is a problematic border. It was difficult even in the Soviet times. It is even more difficult now,” the Belarusian leader said.
The President of Belarus stated that all this has fallen on the shoulders of the Tajik people and Tajikistan. “I understand that you have enough people to protect the border. What you need are modern assets and weapons,” the website of the President of the Republic of Belarus notes.
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