CSTO to Supply Weapons to Tajikistan to Strengthen Border with Afghanistan
DID Press: Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) has warned of growing terrorist threats, drug trafficking and security challenges in Central Asia, reaffirming a five-year programme to strengthen Tajikistan’s border with Afghanistan.
The issue was discussed at a joint meeting of foreign ministers, defence ministers and secretaries of security councils from CSTO member states, held in Moscow on Tuesday, November 10, under the chairmanship of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, participants discussed security developments across member states and neighbouring regions, as well as measures to combat cybercrime, illegal migration, drug trafficking and terrorist threats.
Officials also stressed the need to strengthen collective defence capabilities and improve the military readiness of member states to address emerging security challenges.
Several documents aimed at expanding the CSTO’s military capabilities have also been prepared for consideration by the organisation’s Collective Security Council. The proposed measures include developing joint air forces, strengthening air defence systems and improving biological security.
A key focus of the discussions was security along Central Asia’s southern borders, particularly the need to enhance Tajikistan’s capacity to protect its frontier with Afghanistan.
Tajikistan shares more than 1,300 km of border with Afghanistan, much of it running through mountainous and difficult-to-access terrain along the Panj River. The geographical conditions have made the frontier a major security concern for the CSTO.
Under a five-year intergovernmental programme, member states, including Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan, are expected to provide Tajikistan with weapons, military equipment and technical border-protection facilities by the end of 2026. The programme was approved in 2024, with the first deliveries expected before the end of this year.
The initiative aims to strengthen Tajikistan’s defence capabilities, improve security along its shared border with Afghanistan and prevent security threats from spreading into Central Asian countries.
Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, CSTO officials have repeatedly expressed concern about the presence and activities of terrorist and extremist groups in Afghanistan, particularly the Islamic State Khorasan Province (IS-KP), describing them as a potential threat to the security of Central Asian states.