CSTO Reviews Security Threats, Support for Afghanistan in 41st Meeting

The 41st meeting of the Working Group on Afghanistan under the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Ministerial Council was held in Moscow.

Although the caretaker government of Afghanistan has repeatedly pledged that its territory poses no threat to other countries, it seems that this assurance has not satisfied some countries and organizations.

According to the CSTO’s press release, the current situation in Afghanistan and potential threats originating from its territory were discussed during the meeting.

A section of the statement reads: “There was a thorough exchange of views on the current situation in Afghanistan, noting the continuing high potential risks and threats emanating from the territory of that country. An opinion was expressed on the need for the CSTO member states to continue humanitarian and economic support for the population of Afghanistan by the CSTO member states.”

This meeting, hosted by the CSTO Deputy Secretary General Samat Ordabaev, and attended by delegations from member states in Moscow, reaffirmed continued monitoring of the situation in Afghanistan and support for the peace process in the country. The participants adopted a unified position in this regard.

Meanwhile, some political analysts believe that if CSTO member countries genuinely want to help Afghanistan, they should engage in direct contact with the caretaker government rather than adopting multilateral policies.

Ahmad Khan Andar, a political analyst, says: “If these CSTO member countries truly want to help the people of Afghanistan, they should be in direct contact with the Islamic Emirate’s officials instead of pursuing multilateral policies to resolve their concerns.”

Another political analyst, Mohammad Zalmai Afghan Yar, said: “If these countries express concern about Afghanistan’s situation, can they provide assurances that Afghanistan won’t be affected by their intelligence policies? Why is Afghanistan still isolated? Is it due to marginalization or an attempt to reintegrate the country into the global community?”

This CSTO meeting on Afghanistan took place just a day after Uzbekistan’s special representative for Afghanistan met with the EU’s special representative for Central Asia to exchange views on Afghanistan’s current situation, regional security, and ongoing constructive dialogue for stability.