MOSCOW — The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) will implement a plan to bolster security along the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border beginning this year, the organization’s Secretary-General, Imangali Tasmagambetov, said on Friday.
Speaking at a meeting to review the CSTO’s activities in 2024, held in Moscow, Tasmagambetov outlined the organization’s accomplishments over the past year and set priorities for 2025. He said the security initiative includes special measures designed to strengthen the southern flank of the CSTO’s area of responsibility.
“The program incorporates specific measures aimed at ensuring the security of the southern region under CSTO’s purview,” Tasmagambetov said, adding that related agreements on equipping CSTO forces with advanced military weaponry were finalized and signed in 2024.
The CSTO, a Russia-led military alliance, has consistently expressed concerns about the presence of extremist groups in Afghanistan, which it views as a significant threat to the region’s stability.
In a joint statement issued in December, the foreign ministers of CSTO member states voiced alarm over the growing presence of militant groups in Afghanistan and underscored the importance of coordinated measures to address regional security challenges.
The CSTO’s plan underscores heightened anxieties among its members about potential spillover effects from Afghanistan, especially as the Taliban continues to face accusations of harboring militant organizations on its soil.
