Collective Security Treaty nations to help Afghanistan

The participants in the current Bishkek session of the foreign ministers' council of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (ODKB), including Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, have adopted a statement on co-ordinating joint assistance measures stabilising the situation in Afghanistan.

According to the chairman of the foreign ministers' council, Tajik Foreign Minister Talbak Nazarov, "ODKB member states have co-ordinated their efforts in all areas, including the use of economic, scientific-technological and production potentials of ODKB members in normalising the situation in Afghanistan." As an example of his country's active participation in normalising the situation in Afghanistan, Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Askar Aitmatov referred to the deployment of the anti-terrorist base near Manas international airport of Bishkek. This is a good example of ODKB members' co-operation potential of settling the situation in Afghanistan, said the minister. "Manas is housing the base of the anti-terrorist coalition while Kant (30 km east of Bishkek) is now home to a Russian air base - the aviation component of the ODKB collective rapid deployment forces."