24.08.2021, Moscow.
The presence of US military personnel in the Central Asian republics is undesirable, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters at a press conference on August 24.
“The deployment of the United States military in the Central Asian countries neighboring Afghanistan would make these states a target,” the Russian foreign minister explained.
Lavrov recalled that Russia and the Central Asian republics have a “common security space” and mutual security obligations. Lavrov said, “I mean the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which implies the agreement of all allies on issues concerning the deployment of foreign military forces on their territories.
He reminded that earlier the command of the US applied to the authorities of these countries with a request for temporary deployment of the US contingent on their territory for continuing the war against the Taliban (organization banned in Russia). This request was dictated by the need for strikes on the territory of Afghanistan to contain the radical Islamist movement.
Earlier, Chair of the House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff expressed doubt that the Pentagon would be able to evacuate all soldiers and personnel from Afghanistan by August 31.
US President Joe Biden had previously stated that the military would not leave Kabul until all US citizens were out of the country.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
