CSTO Foreign Ministers’ Council Meet Kicks Off in Belarus

On Tuesday, the foreign ministers’ council of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) met in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. Russian media outlets reported that the meeting will discuss global and regional issues, the Ukraine war, and Afghanistan’s situation.

Foreign ministers of Armenia, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia are participating in this meeting.

According to the Russian state media, CSTO member countries will probably discuss concerns regarding Afghanistan.

Earlier, Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s defence minister, during the CSTO’s defence ministers meeting in Minsk, called Afghanistan one of the hotbeds of instability in the region.

He said that the main source of threat is illegal armed groups which have strengthened their positions in Afghanistan after the Taliban’s takeover of the country.

Recently, Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, also said that Washington intends to use “active illegal armed groups” in Afghanistan to push instability in the region.

CSTO member countries have repeatedly raised concerns over the advent of terrorism in Afghanistan. These countries believe that terrorist groups are actively present on the borders of Afghanistan.