Unclear how situation in Afghanistan will affect regional, global security — Putin

MOSCOW, September 9. /TASS/. It is still unclear how the situation in Afghanistan will influence the regional and global security, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday. "The withdrawal of the Americans and their allies from Afghanistan caused a new crisis situation, and it is still not entirely clear how all this will affect the regional and global security," the head of state said during the BRICS online meeting. In Putin’s view, it is totally justified that the BRICS member states (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) pay special attention to this issue. "Naturally, Russia, as well as its BRICS partners, consecutively advocates the long-desired peace and stability on the Afghan soil. The people of this country have been fighting for decades and deserved their right to define their state themselves," Putin underscored. "Meanwhile, we are, of course, not interested in Afghanistan remaining a threat for the neighboring states, in terrorism or illegal drug trafficking threatening us from the Afghan territory. We are interested in stopping the migration influx. We advocate the peace and worthy life of Afghans in their homeland," the Russian President noted. Increased relevance of BRICS partnership amid current global situation Russian President Vladimir Putin believes that the partnership of the BRICS countries is in demand amid the current challenging situation all over the world. "Indeed, the authority of our association is growing, and its role in international affairs is increasing, it is very noticeable," the Russian leader stated at the online BRICS summit on Thursday. According to Putin, "this is a logical result of the fact that over 15 years of joint activities, the BRICS have managed to establish effective cooperation on the entire spectrum of topical issues on the global and regional agenda." "Such a close partnership of the BRICS countries is in demand since the situation in the world remains extremely turbulent," Russia’s president emphasized. As an example, he cited the risks brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. "This threat has affected almost all aspects of our life, slowing down the development of the global economy, exacerbating many social problems," Putin noted. "Along with this, the situation in the world itself is not becoming less tense. Global security is undergoing serious challenges, the strategic stability system has noticeably degraded - not only long-standing regional conflicts continue, but also flare up with renewed vigor," the Russian leader went on to say. Putin also thanked India for its chairmanship of the association, noting that the country did "everything to ensure that the BRICS member states’ strategic partnership developed progressively and without any interruptions." Photo by Alexei Nikolsky/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS Read more