Shoigu: Russia concerned about possible growth of terrorist threat after coalition leaves Afghanistan
MOSCOW. May 23 (Interfax) - The international coalition pullout from Afghanistan may escalate the terrorist threat coming from that country, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said.
"The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) will leave Afghanistan in 2014 and the entire responsibility for the stability in that country will rest upon the national army and the national security forces. Hence, we are worried about a possible escalation of the terrorist threat coming from Afghanistan," the minister said at the Moscow international security conference on Friday.
"Regional instability may be advantageous for certain countries as a convenient pretext for extensive reconfiguration of the existent security architecture," Shoigu said.
"An illustrative example is the deployment of U.S. missile defense systems in Europe and the Far East explained with nuclear and missile programs of Iran and the DPRK that allegedly jeopardize the security of the United States and NATO," Shoigu noted.
While speaking about Russian efforts to maintain security in unstable regions, the minister mentioned assistance to the Afghan authorities. "Together with Collective Security Treaty Organization allies and Shanghai Cooperation Organization partners, we are working to build up the potential of the armed forces of regional countries," Shoigu said. "Personnel are being trained, armed forces are being equipped and control systems of military organizations of regional countries are being upgraded."
He mentioned the latest effort to strengthen Russian military bases in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, the enlarged aviation component of the Kant air base and the division format of the 201st Russian military base.
"The task is simple: we need to neutralize military security threats to CSTO member countries in the case of instability in Afghanistan and an escalated terrorist threat," Shoigu said.