Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has expressed concerns over Afghanistan’s deteriorating security situation, warning that instability in the country poses risks for its neighbours.
Speaking on Thursday during a meeting in Moscow with Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin, Lavrov stated that the fragile security situation in Afghanistan has repercussions for neighbouring states, particularly Russia and Tajikistan.
The meeting was also attended by Zamir Kabulov, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan.
According to Russia Today, Lavrov told his Tajik counterpart that the situation in Afghanistan remains difficult, and this instability echoes across its neighbouring Central Asian countries, including Tajikistan.
Lavrov emphasised that it is in the interests of both Russia and Tajikistan to continue working within multilateral frameworks to ensure regional security.
He also revealed that Moscow and Dushanbe are collaborating to enhance the operational effectiveness of Russia’s 201st Military Base in Tajikistan, which is one of Russia’s largest military installations outside its borders.
Lavrov’s remarks come at a time when suicide attacks in Afghanistan have been on the rise, further fuelling concerns about regional security threats.
One of the latest attacks occurred on Thursday when a suicide bomber targeted the Taliban’s Ministry of Urban Development and Housing in Kabul.
Two credible sources in Kabul confirmed to Afghanistan International that Arsala Kharoti, the Taliban’s Deputy Minister for Finance and Administration, was injured in the attack.
Another suicide bombing took place in Kunduz just two days earlier. On Tuesday, a suicide bomber detonated explosives outside the Kabul Bank office, where Taliban military personnel and government employees had gathered to collect their salaries.
Additionally, Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqqani, a senior Taliban official, was killed in a suicide attack inside the Ministry of Refugees building in Kabul.
ISIS has claimed responsibility for these recent attacks, increasing concerns about the group’s growing presence and operations in Afghanistan.
