Regional Security Convergence: Renewed Focus on Afghanistan

DID Press: Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) has announced plans to hold a joint conference with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in the near future, with a primary focus on security challenges in Central Asia and Afghanistan.

Talantbek Masadykov, Secretary General of the CSTO, said that rising security threats across the Eurasian region have made developments in Afghanistan a key factor on the agenda of emerging regional cooperation frameworks.

According to Masadykov, the organization is seeking to expand cooperation with new partners in order to more effectively counter cross-border threats—particularly extremism, terrorism, and organized crime.

In remarks to the CSTO Allies website, he added that the organization is open to working with countries and institutions that share common security goals and principles, noting that closer cooperation with the SCO and CIS ranks among the CSTO’s top priorities.

Masadykov also pointed to the signing of a joint roadmap by the secretaries general of the three organizations in 2025. The document outlines the framework for security cooperation from 2026 to 2028 and, he said, could pave the way for more practical joint actions to address threats directly linked to Afghanistan’s security situation and its wider regional impact.