Stanislav Zas: Preparations have begun for the CSTO Collective Forces’ exercise to take place near the Tajik-Afghan border

“Taliban’s rapid offensive and gaining control over most of Afghanistan’s territory, including the state borders and the capital Kabul, as well as the de facto transition of power in the country significantly affect the situation in CSTO’s Central Asian region of collective security and cause deep concern,” the CSTO website quotes Stanislav Zas, Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization.
According to Mr Zas, the Organization’s main goal under the current circumstances is to ensure the security of the CSTO Member States, for which end the CSTO is carefully monitoring the situation on the Tajik-Afghan border, with political and diplomatic means remaining the Organization’s priority. “In case of escalation of the situation and a threat to the security of the Republic of Tajikistan, all necessary collective measures stipulated by the statutory documents will be taken to assist our ally,” stressed Stanislav Zas.
The CSTO Secretary General said that today he had telephone conversations with Sherali Mirzo, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Tajikistan, and Nassrullo Mahmudzoda, Security Council Secretary. “Currently, the Tajik security agencies fully control the situation on the border and there is no need to involve CSTO mechanisms,” the CSTO Secretary General noted.
“Preparation has already started for the exercises of the CSTO Collective Forces to be held near the Tajik-Afghan border in the upcoming months,” stressed Stanislav Zas.
“Undoubtedly, the Afghanistan situation will be one of the main issues for discussion at the upcoming session of the CSTO Collective Security Council that will be held in mid-September in Dushanbe, the capital of the Republic of Tajikistan,” noted the CSTO Secretary General.