Russia: military maneuvers at the Tajik border
Military exercise in Russia in Orendurg on September 20, 2019 where Tajikistan participated alongside other countries (Illustrative image).
© Sergei Grits / AP
Text by: RFI Follow
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Russia launched Thursday August 5 in joint military maneuvers with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
The objective is to ensure control of the Tajik-Afghan border.
After the American withdrawal, Moscow wants to avoid the arrival of Islamist terrorists in these former Soviet republics.
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With our correspondent in Moscow,
Jean-Didier Revoin
20 km from the Afghan border, on a training ground in Tajikistan, 2,500 Russian, Tajik and Uzbek soldiers began maneuvers which will end on August 10.
After the announcement of the American withdrawal from Afghanistan, coupled with the offensive launched by the Taliban, thousands of Afghan soldiers had taken refuge in this country which has 1,300 km of border with Afghanistan.
Dushanbe then asked Moscow for help to ensure the security of its borders.
A request that Russia could not ignore, because if terrorists manage to infiltrate the former Soviet republics bordering Afghanistan, Moscow will subsequently find it difficult to prevent them from entering its territory.
At the moment, Russia is negotiating with the Taliban.
The Kremlin has let them know that if they want to retain and exercise power, they have every interest in confining their ambitions within Afghan borders.
Otherwise, they would cross a red line in the eyes of Moscow.
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Russia
Tajikistan
Afghanistan
Uzbekistan
Taliban