DUSHANBE, 14.02.2022 (NIAT Khovar) – Saidmurod Fattohzoda, Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs, Public Associations and Information of the Majlisi Namoyandagon of the Majlisi Oli of the Republic of Tajikistan at the meeting of chairmen of foreign affairs committees (commissions) of the parliaments of CSTO States, noted the need to strengthen countering terrorism and extremism in the Central Asian region”.

A face-to-face meeting of chairmen of foreign affairs committees (commissions) of the parliaments of CSTO States was held in Moscow on 9-10 February.

“Recent events once again confirm the need to strengthen the joint comprehensive work of our countries to counter terrorism and extremism in CSTO’s regions of collective security. The recruitment and propaganda efforts of international terrorists and extremists directed against citizens of CSTO Member States have not stopped for a single day. Closed groups and shady communities are actively being established in our region, and the number of ‘sleeper cells’ of terrorist organizations is growing,” Mr Fattohzoda said.

“We in Tajikistan are actively countering the propaganda activities of the emissaries of banned organizations. Every year we note that more and more online terrorist resources are uncovered,” stressed the Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs, Public Associations and Information of the Majlisi Namoyandagon of the Majlisi Oli of the Republic of Tajikistan. “Unfortunately, at the same time the citizens of our countries still tend to fall under the influence of terrorist organizations’ ideologists.” Mr Fattokhzoda stressed: “During the last CSTO summit, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan proposed developing a system to protect the information space of our Organization.”

Speaking about the situation in neighbouring Afghanistan, which is going through “an acute and serious political and humanitarian crisis that could lead to serious and lasting unwanted consequences,” Saidmurod Fattohzoda said that the world community needed to “provide targeted humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan, which is experiencing great difficulties,” despite the established regime.

Saidmurod Fattohzoda recalled the decisions of the Collective Security Council of September 23, 2013 on assisting the Republic of Tajikistan in strengthening the Tajik-Afghan border, which provided for the adoption of a targeted interstate programme.

“On August 23, at an online session and on September 16, 2021, at the CSTO summit in Dushanbe, the heads of state of the Organization discussed this issue in detail, giving instructions to put the target programme for signing. Therefore, we would like to ask you, dear colleagues, to assist as parliamentarians in organizing this agreement of our leaders,” said the Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs, Public Associations and Information of the Majlisi Namoyandagon of the Majlisi Oli of the Republic of Tajikistan.