CSTO Calls for Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to Be Included in the Work on Afghanistan

Foreign ministers of the CSTO Member States declared that it is expedient to involve Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in the Organization’s work on Afghanistan. 

At a meeting in Minsk, they discussed the formation of a security belt around Afghanistan and the strengthening of the Tajik–Afghan border. A statement was signed as a result of the discussions.

“We stand for the rise of Afghanistan as an independent, united and peaceful state, free from terrorism, war and drugs,” reads the text of the statement. 

The CSTO expressed concern about the deterioration of the security situation in Afghanistan and the activation of international terrorist organizations, first of all ISIS and in particular the branch of Vilayat Khorasan, in the country.

“We call on the current authorities of Afghanistan to strengthen counter-terrorism measures, eradicate terrorism on the territory of the country and prevent it from turning into a hotbed of international terrorism,” the CSTO statement stresses.

Member States of the CSTO also expressed their concern about the growth of drug trafficking in Afghanistan, taking into account, inter alia, the risks of drug trafficking into neighbouring countries.

In addition, an appeal was made to keep the territories of Afghanistan and its neighbouring states free from third-country military infrastructure.

The CSTO confirmed its readiness to provide active assistance in combating threats to regional security emanating from Afghanistan, including the adoption of measures to strengthen the Tajik–Afghan border and the initiative to create a security belt around Afghanistan.

As you may recall, in 2021 the Council of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly in its statement condemned terrorist attacks in Afghanistan and expressed readiness to support the National Assembly of Afghanistan through parliamentary diplomacy on the basis of the model laws and recommendations developed by the CSTO PA.