Russia says it cannot accept NATO’s base in Central Asia

According to RT (Russia), Sergey Lavrov’s statement was made at the summit related to the Afghanistan issue taking place in Anhui province, China on March 31.

“We cannot accept the military infrastructure of the United States, NATO, or the forces supporting Afghanistan, on the territory of neighboring countries, especially in Central Asia.“, Lavrov said, adding that these moves go against Russia’s national security interests.

The Russian foreign minister added that the presence of Western military bases contradicts the interests of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a military alliance led by Moscow that includes the following countries: Russia , Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

The official also called on countries to be very careful in handling the Afghan refugee crisis in the bordering states. He said that countries should take into account the “high risk” to national security and the entire region. Last year, the Taliban took control of Kabul in the final stages of a withdrawal of Western forces. The last US troops left Afghanistan in August 2021. The US has evacuated Afghan citizens and allies from Kabul. However, about 78,000 Afghans who had worked for the US government were left behind.

On the same day, Foreign Minister Lavrov met with Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Amir Khan Muttaqi. He called on the world to work more closely with the Taliban, encouraging steps that could help the group’s government be recognized by the United Nations.