RASC News Agency: Sergey Vershinin, the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, emphasized that one of the enduring priorities of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is to combat threats emanating from Afghanistan. He stated that threats from Afghanistan pose significant concerns to neighboring countries, and countering these threats remains a primary focus for the SCO. Previously, the Taliban have consistently denied the presence of terrorist groups within Afghanistan under their control, asserting that no threats to other countries originate from Afghanistan.
However, numerous nations have expressed concerns about Afghanistan under Taliban rule becoming a haven for terrorists. Russia and Iran have been particularly vocal about their apprehensions. During a Security Council meeting on Friday night, July 20, discussing cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations, Mr. Vershinin remarked: “Another steadfast priority of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is to counter the threats of terrorism, separatism, extremism, drug trafficking, and transnational organized crime, especially those arising from Afghanistan.”
In his statement on cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations such as the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the SCO, and the Commonwealth of Independent States, he noted that his country is satisfied with the level of cooperation between the CSTO and the United Nations. The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister’s statement reads: “We place significant importance on strengthening coordination on regional issues with a focus on Afghanistan.”
He further mentioned that to address these challenges, the member states of the CSTO, during the Astana meeting, approved a cooperation program to combat terrorism, separatism, and extremism for 2025-2027, as well as a drug control strategy for 2024-2029. Sergey Vershinin expressed optimism about the prospects for CSTO participation in UN peacekeeping activities.
He highlighted that the necessary legal framework for CSTO participation in UN peacekeeping operations has already been established. This concern arises amid fears of Afghanistan becoming a terrorist haven, with over 10 terrorist groups, including Al-Qaeda, TTP, and ISIS, currently operating within the country.
