Rustam Shokhmurod: “Security threats around Afghanistan remain.”

At the fifth meeting of security council secretaries dedicated to Afghan issues held in Moscow on February 8, Nikolai Patrushev, Russian Security Council Secretary, called countries for greater interaction on Afghan issues. 

“Since its creation in 2018, the mechanism of multilateral interaction of our states on Afghanistan-related issues has fully proven its relevance,” Mr Patrushev said. 

Rustam Shokhmurod, Chairman of the Coordination Council of Chairpersons of Committees (Commissions) on Defence and Security of the Parliaments of the CSTO Member States under the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly and Chairman of the Committee on Law, Order, Defence and Security of the Majlisi Namoyandagon of the Majlisi Oli of the Republic of Tajikistan, noted that the proposal of the Russian Security Council Secretary to strengthen interaction of states on the Afghan issue provides for a comprehensive resolution of the Afghan issue, coordination of joint steps and use of other dialogue-based mechanisms. 

“Unfortunately, the situation in Afghanistan has not changed, and the humanitarian situation is dire. There are persisting threats to regional security in the CSTO area of responsibility. Given the current situation in northern Afghanistan bordering Tajikistan, security of the Tajik-Afghan border is, of course, important. But it is much more important to stabilize the situation in Afghanistan itself,” Rustam Shokhmurod said. 

The Chairman of the Coordination Council of Chairpersons of Committees (Commissions) on Defence and Security also noted that this task is complex and requires not only political efforts but also addressing a number of social and economic challenges.