On Wednesday, Russia's top diplomat advised Afghanistan's neighbors that they should refuse to host the US or NATO military personnel once they leave Afghanistan.
The Kremlin is concerned about terrorists spilling over from Afghanistan into Central Asia. It cringes at the prospect of the West having a presence in a territory that was once part of the Soviet Union.
During a summit on Afghanistan in Tehran, the diplomat made statements that included China, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
Russia views ex-Soviet territory as a defensive line
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that it was critical to regulate and stem migratory flows from Afghanistan and that criminal and terrorist groups were already attempting to infiltrate Afghanistan's neighbors as refugees, NDTV reported.
According to Kommersant newspaper sources, Moscow views the ex-Soviet territory as its southern defensive line. Still, in June, President Vladimir Putin offered Washington the use of Russian military outposts in Central Asia.
Tajikistan, which shares a long border with Afghanistan, is home to Russia's world's largest military facility. The country has increased its soldier and the army hardware presence there since the Taliban took control.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a video address to participants in a ministerial meeting of Afghanistan's neighboring countries involving Russia, China, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan on Wednesday that Moscow has consistently advocated for the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan and has no plans to impose its recommendations on the country.
On September 8, the first online gathering of Afghanistan's neighbors took place. The focus of today's conference in Tehran is on how to make the creation of an inclusive administration in Afghanistan easier. Levan Dzhagaryan, Russia's ambassador to Iran, will be present.
Countries surrounding Afghanistan vow to address the crisis
Per TASS, after the US announced intentions to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan, the Taliban, which is banned in Russia, launched a large-scale effort to seize control of the nation. On August 15, Taliban gunmen rushed into Kabul, Afghanistan's capital, without opposition, forcing Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to abandon the country.
The Taliban proclaimed a temporary administration on September 7, which has yet to be recognized by any country. China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan, and countries in the area around Afghanistan have pledged to work together to address the issues that have engulfed the country since the US forces withdrew.
They've come together at a moment when Afghanistan is on the verge of humanitarian, economic, and security disasters. China, Iran, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan all sent representatives.
The advent of extremist organizations such as the Islamic State (ISIS) that have issued threats outside Afghanistan's borders has been one of the most alarming developments for these nations.
Beijing and Moscow have pushed for regional nations to take the lead on the evolving situation in Afghanistan, where the Taliban rapidly took control from a US-backed government following the withdrawal. The newly constituted Islamic Emirate has yet to be recognized by any government in the globe. However, China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan, and other countries have begun to interact with the new administration in the hopes of preventing additional turmoil.
As ISIS assaults spread across the Middle East, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian emphasized his country's experience fighting terrorists in Iraq and Syria and suffering from US military activity in Afghanistan, as per Newsweek via MSN.
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