A senior official of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) has warned that the presence and activities of militant groups in northern Afghanistan remain the most significant security concern for member states in Central Asia.
Viktor Vasiliev, the rotating chairman of the CSTO Permanent Council, said on Wednesday that member countries intend to strengthen joint efforts to address security threats emerging from areas near Afghanistan’s northern borders.
Speaking to Russia’s TASS news agency, Vasiliev referred to reported incidents of gunfire originating from Afghan territory toward Tajikistan and said such developments continue to raise serious concerns among regional security officials.
He noted that despite efforts by Russia and several regional states to establish working relations with the Taliban, Afghanistan’s security environment remains complex and unstable.
According to Vasiliev, the concentration and movement of armed groups near Afghanistan’s northern frontier represent a direct challenge to the security of CSTO member states, particularly Tajikistan.
“Afghanistan remains the primary security challenge in Central Asia,” he said, adding that attempts to engage with the current authorities in Kabul have not yet produced lasting improvements in the country’s overall security situation.
The CSTO official also expressed concern over repeated reports of cross-border shootings and stated that the organization plans to expand border security cooperation and joint defense measures among its members.
He said the objective is to counter extremist and militant groups operating in areas close to Afghanistan’s northern borders.
Afghanistan’s borders with Central Asian countries have witnessed a range of security incidents in recent years, including cross-border shootings, narcotics trafficking, weapons smuggling and the movement of armed groups.
According to various security assessments, groups such as ISIS-Khorasan, Jamaat Ansarullah, the Turkistan Islamic Movement and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan maintain a presence in parts of northern Afghanistan.
Security analysts say these concerns have prompted CSTO member states to increase military preparedness and reinforce security measures along the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border.
From Nimruz TV’s perspective, the remarks highlight continuing regional anxiety over security developments in Afghanistan despite growing diplomatic engagement between some neighboring countries and the Taliban. The issue remains a key factor shaping security cooperation and military planning across Central Asia.
