CSTO chief warns of extremist threats spilling into Central Asia

The Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) has identified the spread of radical extremist groups from the Middle East to Central Asia’s southern borders as the primary threat facing the region, CSTO Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov said.

Amid these perils, the CSTO chief urged the Collective Rapid Deployment Forces (CRDF) to be ready to respond promptly and adequately to emerging challenges in Central Asia, Caliber.Az reports via Kyrgyz media.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Rubezh-2025 command and staff exercises in Balykchy, Tasmagambetov also said that the spread of extremist ideology and the recruitment of young people into terrorist organisations are among the main challenges.

He highlighted that the manoeuvres are beginning in a complex international environment, new hotspots of tension are emerging in various regions of the world, while long-standing conflicts are once again flaring up.

"Under these conditions, successful combat missions require clear coordination between national armed forces, other security agencies of the region's states, and the CSTO Rapid Reaction Force, which was created to ensure the military security of the region's states, including participating in repelling external military aggression and conducting counter-terrorism operations," Imangali emphasised.

By Khagan Isayev