CSTO chief denies plans of member states to deploy military in Afghanistan

Minsk [Belarus], August 30 (ANI/Sputnik): Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Secretary-General Stanislav Zas said on Sunday that the fears of the CSTO member states deploying their troops in Afghanistan were unfounded.

“Will Afghanistan become a trap, will we have to send our sons and servicemen there again? Of course not. These are absolutely groundless fears. Why? Because the CSTO is an exclusively defensive military-political organization. According to the charter of our organization, the use of collective defensive forces is envisaged exclusively within the CSTO zone of responsibility, that is, within the borders of our countries,” Zas told Belarusian channel STV.

The official added that the CSTO has developed a set of measures to minimize possible threats emanating from Afghanistan, including drug trafficking, terrorism, and illegal migration.

“It is clear that the situation there [in Afghanistan] is changing, and this must be taken into account, including in terms of combating these threats, which have not disappeared,” Zas noted.

On Monday, the CSTO Collective Security Council held an extraordinary session on the situation in Afghanistan, with the participation of the member states’ leaders.

They agreed to develop cooperation in combating threats and challenges, given the increasing presence of international terrorist groups in Afghanistan. The parties also underscored the importance of restoring state power in Afghanistan through peaceful dialogue, taking into account the interests of all political, ethnic and religious groups.

Afghanistan fell to the Taliban (a terrorist group, banned in Russia) on August 15. As foreign countries began to evacuate their citizens and diplomats and thousands of vulnerable Afghans rushed to the Kabul airport hoping to flee. The crowded airport was attacked by Islamic State terrorists (banned in Russia) this past Thursday, prompting the United States to retaliate. (ANI/Sputnik)