Tajikistan seeks help amid deteriorating security in Afghanistan

By Emre Gurkan Abay

DUSHANBE, Tajikistan (AA) - Tajikistan has called on its allies for help amid worsening security conditions in neighboring Afghanistan, Tajik diplomatic sources said Wednesday.

Meeting with representatives of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a Russian-led military alliance that includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan apart from Tajikistan, Hasan Sultonov, the Tajik representative at the CSTO, spoke on security conditions in Afghanistan.

He stressed that his country has been having a hard time dealing with security challenges originating from Afghanistan.

"Therefore, we would like to call on the member states of the organization to contribute to the full implementation of a 2013 resolution to provide assistance to Tajikistan in strengthening the Tajik-Afghan border,” he added.

The call came after Tajik President Emomali Rahmon ordered 20,000 reserve officers to the Afghan border on July 5.

The Kremlin said earlier that Russian President Vladimir Putin had confirmed his readiness to provide Tajikistan with the necessary support both bilaterally and within the framework of the CSTO.

*Written and contributed by Ahmet Gencturk