Ruslan Kazakbaev: We discuss the Afghanistan situation primarily with CSTO partners

Ruslan Kazakbaev, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic, told in his interview to RIA Novosti about the cooperation within the CSTO regarding the Afghanistan situation
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic expressed hope that the new institutions of governance in Afghanistan will be formed lawfully and with the involvement of all political and ethnic groups of the country. “We hope that the long-standing military conflict will end and the long-awaited peace and stability will be established in Afghanistan,” he noted.
Ruslan Kazakbaev emphasized that the Kyrgyz Republic, together with its partners, discusses issues related to Afghanistan within international organizations, primarily the CSTO, “where we always emphasize the need to reinforce the borders with Afghanistan. At the same time, we also consider it relevant to jointly strengthen the Kyrgyz-Tajik border as the second barrier on the path of possible penetration of international terrorist organizations into the Central Asian region.”
Ruslan Kazakbaev said that currently the CSTO holds active and continuous consultations amid the situation in Afghanistan.
At all levels, there is cooperation and ongoing coordination: at the level of councils of foreign ministers, secretaries of security councils, defence ministers, etc. Preparations are underway for regular and extraordinary sessions of the CSTO Collective Security Council at the level of heads of Member States to discuss common regional security policy in light of the current challenges and threats in general and the situation in Afghanistan that changes daily.
According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic, cooperation within the CSTO against the backdrop of the situation in Afghanistan includes a number of specific collective measures. For instance, on September 1–9, the Edelweiss training range in the Kyrgyz Republic plans to host the Rubezh 2021 joint exercise with the Collective Rapid Deployment Forces of the Central Asian region of collective security.
Ruslan Kazakbaev recalled that Kyrgyzstan has a joint Russian military base that is the air component of the CSTO Collective Rapid Deployment Forces designed to ensure military security of the CSTO Member States and participate in repelling external aggression and conducting joint counter-terrorist operations. “Undoubtedly, the Russian airbase in Kant is very important in ensuring regional security and strengthening military and technical cooperation with the Russian Federation,” noted the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic.