MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd July, 2021) Afghanistan's northern provinces are rapidly turning into a new hotspot as a result of the hasty withdrawal of the US troops, with the Taliban movement (banned in Russia) already controlling almost the entire border with Tajikistan, and international terrorist organizations gaining foothold in the area, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said in an interview with Sputnik.
"The consequences of the US and some NATO countries' troops hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan are becoming obvious: once relatively calm northern provinces are rapidly turning into another hotspot. The Taliban almost completely control the border with Tajikistan. Numerous international terrorist organizations, such as the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda branches [both banned in Russia] are gaining foothold," Rudenko said.
In addition, foreign militants from combat zones in the middle East and North Africa are being pulled into Afghanistan, the Russian diplomat added.
"People from Central Asia are being actively recruited into the ranks of such organizations. Drug production has reached record heights," Rudenko went on to say.
The degradation of Afghanistan's security situation poses a direct threat to Central Asia, the official stressed.
"We share corresponding concerns of our neighbors in the region. The importance of maintaining coordinated effort to minimize the negative impact of these risks on our countries' security was emphasized during the fourth meeting of the heads of Russia's and Central Asian nations' foreign ministers in Tashkent on July 16 and in the adopted joint statement," Rudenko concluded.
