INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Russia sees an opportunity to boost relations with Afghanistan amid the country&s stabilization, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on
Thursday.The CSTO [Collective Security Treaty Organization] is not only alive but thriving,& Putin told journalists following the CSTO
Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan
&All member countries participating in its work are interested in maintaining these ties both now and in the future.What&s going on in
Ukraine is not the only reason things are difficult
Is everything so good in Asia? He added
& Should the events on the borders of the commonwealth countries with Afghanistan make us feel so good as to turn our attention
elsewhere?The situation in Afghanistan is complex,& Putin noted
&Still, we hope to build strong relations with Afghanistan.We cannot ignore the fact that the situation in the country is stabilizing
We are engaged in bilateral relations with the current authorities of Afghanistan and they [the relations] will be developed further,& the
Russian president added.However, the situation remains complicated and demands our close attention, including from the CSTO,& Putin said
&After all, the CSTO is concerned not only with military issues, but also with fighting organized crime, drug trafficking and so on
So there is plenty of work to do, and member states are equally interested in addressing this.On November 25, an extensive Russian
delegation, which was led by Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu and also included Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey
Overchuk, held four meetings with Afghanistan&s Deputy Prime Minister Mohammad for Political Affairs Abdul Kabir, Deputy Prime Minister for
Economic Affairs Abdul Ghani Baradar, Acting Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqoob, and Acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani.
