Russia's concern about the further spread of terrorism from Afghanistan

Sergei Shoigu has emphasized in the meeting of defense ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, that Central Asian countries are threatened by terrorist groups in Afghanistan. 

This is not the first time that Russian political and military officials have expressed their concern about the transfer of terrorism from Afghanistan to other countries in the Central Asian region. From Russia's point of view, the process of transferring insecurity from Afghanistan to other parts of Central Asia includes various cases such as drug trafficking, especially heroin, weapons, human trafficking and other violent incidents. The President of Russia has also been warning repeatedly about the drug trade towards that country.

Tahmina Iqbal, an expert on regional affairs, says in relation to the issue that: "Although terrorist threats from within Afghanistan are not only aimed at Central Asian countries, but the statements of the Minister of Defense of Russia in relation to the issue show that, the Cooperation Community of Shanghai still has security concerns about terrorism from Afghanistan; and to deal with the crisis this organization is trying to strengthen coordination and cooperation among its members."

Earlier, the Minister of Defense of Russia said that international terrorist organizations are increasing their influence in Afghanistan, and Western countries are actively working with armed groups outside the country. This means that Russia is very concerned about the interventionist politics of Western countries, especially the United States, in matters of security in the Central Asian region because there is a concept in that region that the United States left Afghanistan with the aim of strengthening terrorist groups. for those groups to reorganize in that country and endanger the security of the region, especially in Central Asia.

From Moscow's point of view, the goals of Western countries to increase cooperation with armed groups opposing the Taliban regime outside Afghanistan are also clear. Because those countries are trying to create a conflict center in the border areas of Russia's allies. An issue that raises serious security concerns in the region. 

Although the Taliban have repeatedly claimed that no country faces threats from Afghanistan and that the terrorist group ISIS has been destroyed in that country, but the concerns expressed by the defense officials of Shanghai member countries about the threat of terrorism from Afghanistan show that they do not believe these statements. . Especially, given that, Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, previously said that the ISIS terrorist group aims to undermine the security of Central Asian countries with the help of foreign military forces.

Zakharova stressed that the financing of the ISIS terrorist group in Afghanistan is done by foreign intelligence services, and according to the announcement of the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, the United States is the one that finances the terrorist groups of ISIS and Al- Qaeda in Afghanistan.