DUSHANBE, September 19, 2011, Asia-Plus — After withdrawal of antiterrorist coalition forces from Afghanistan international terrorists will spread their actions to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, Russia’s Ambassador to NATO Dmitry Rogozin told Le Figaro in an interview.
“NATO set itself the task and it must implement it,” said Rogozin, “We do not want NATO to leave us face to face with jackals of war. After the NATO withdrawal they will spread to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and this will become our problem.”
Earlier, Suhrob Sharipov, the director of the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of Tajikistan, said that Tajikistan must be ready for withdrawal of the coalition forces from Afghanistan.
In a report released at a news conference in Dushanbe, the Tajik think tank head noted on July 14 that NATO’s plan to withdraw forces from Afghanistan until 2014 may dramatically change the situation in the region. “Therefore, the countries of the region should have plans of actions for the period until and after 2014,” said Sharipov, “We must combine our efforts in order to efficiently address the threats.”
Sharipov considers that the United States and countries of the European Union (EU) should provide all-round assistance to Central Asia’s countries states to provide regional security after withdrawal of the coalition forces from Afghanistan. “They must not do as the Soviet Union did; Soviet troops entered Afghanistan, deteriorated the situation and left the country,” the expert said, noting that Russia that uses the Okno space surveillance facility in Tajikistan should also provide assistance.
