Afghanistan poses major threat to Central Asia: Russian Defense Minister

The Russian Defense Minister stated on Tuesday, February 27^th, in a meeting with senior military officials of the country that Afghanistan is considered the biggest threat to Central Asia.

Sergei Shoigu said, “The situation in the region remains difficult. The biggest threat still comes from Afghanistan.”

Explaining the danger to Central Asia, Mr. Shoigu added, “In the past year, the number of ISIS fighters has increased by 15%.”

The Russian Defense Minister further added that the main goal of ISIS is to spread radical ideology and engage in terrorist activities along the southern borders of the member countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organization.

He also stated, “There is an estimated 20% increase in drug production and trafficking through Central Asian republics.”

While emphasizing proactive measures, Sergei Shoigu said, “We are undertaking preventive actions.”

According to him, efforts to resolve crisis conditions in the region and participation in seven exercises in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan are among the military plans of Russia and its allies in the member countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organization.

Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of the Security Council of Russia, warned in a meeting with his counterparts from Central Asia in Bishkek earlier this month that 20 terrorist organizations with over 23,000 fighters are present in Afghanistan under Taliban control.

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