DID Press: Representatives of Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and UN emphasized the expansion of intelligence-sharing and security cooperation to counter regional threats.
Samat Ordabaev, Deputy Secretary-General of the CSTO, and Kaha Imnadze, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Central Asia, discussed the regional security situation during a joint meeting, with a focus on developments in Afghanistan and their implications.
According to a CSTO press release, both sides stressed the importance of continuous assessment of the “Afghanistan factor” in regional security dynamics and its impact on peace and stability in Central Asian countries.
The meeting highlighted the complexity of the security situation in Afghanistan and underscored the need for coordinated preventive measures to stop the spread of cross-border threats.
The two sides also identified institutional cooperation between the CSTO Secretariat and the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy in Central Asia as a key priority.
Strengthening collaboration in intelligence exchange, threat analysis, and coordination of security responses was also among the main topics discussed.
Officials said enhanced cooperation between regional and international institutions could play a crucial role in containing threats posed by extremist and terrorist groups.
Previously, Andrei Serdyukov, Chief of the CSTO Joint Staff, warned that a significant number of international extremist and terrorist groups are active in Afghanistan, potentially contributing to instability in neighboring states.
Similarly, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu described the Afghanistan–Tajikistan border as a “primary hotspot of security challenges” for CSTO member states, calling for stronger protective measures in the region.