Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov said that his country has increased arms supplies to Central Asian countries with the escalation of violence and the deterioration of the security situation in Afghanistan.
The Interfax news agency quoted Gerasimov as saying on Thursday that Russia had increased supplies of weapons and equipment to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, adding - during his meeting with his Uzbek counterpart Shurhat Halmamedov in the capital Tashkent - that recent developments in Afghanistan negatively affect the entire region.
He said that his country plans to organize joint military exercises with Uzbekistan and Tajikistan "in the wake of the worsening situation in the region, and to deter terrorist threats," as he put it.
He pointed out that Russia provides support to the Uzbek army, as it contributes to constantly developing its forces and qualifying elements of them in Russian universities.
Earlier, Russia and Uzbekistan launched joint military exercises last week in the city of Tarmuz, located on the Afghan border, in southern Uzbekistan, and it is planned to end on August 8.
Russia is also conducting military exercises in Tajikistan - another Soviet republic bordering Afghanistan - this week.
It is noteworthy that the security situation in Afghanistan is unstable since the US forces began withdrawing, which will be completed by next September, prompting Taliban fighters to launch an offensive and achieve significant field gains.