Russia Bolsters Central Asia Buffer as U.S. Afghan Exit Looms

Russia is stepping up efforts to reinforce security in vulnerable former Soviet Central Asian states as the U.S. prepares for a possible troop exit from nearby Afghanistan, risking greater instability in the conflict-torn country.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov embarked on a Central Asian tour on Sunday, on which he will meet the leadership of three nations. His first stop is Kyrgyzstan, where Russia has an air base. The impoverished country may agree to Russia establishing a second military base, its ambassador to Moscow told state news agency TASS in an interview published Feb. 1.

“We’re worried about the situation in Afghanistan, where tensions are rising and clashes are continuing,” said the Kyrgyz envoy, Alikbek Dzhekshenkulov, a former foreign minister. “There are reports of ISIS fighters in northern Afghanistan and the likelihood they will enter Tajikistan and then get into our territory is rising unfortunately.”

The second stop on Lavrov’s tour will be Tajikistan, which has a border of about 1,300 kilometers (810 miles) with Afghanistan and where some 7,500 Russian troops are stationed. The Foreign Ministry said ahead of the visit that the talks would focus on “guaranteeing regional security by helping our ally strengthen its defenses and protect the southern flank” of the CIS, an ex-Soviet bloc of 12 countries.

Both Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan belong to a Russian-led regional security pact. The third country that Lavrov will visit, Turkmenistan, which also borders Afghanistan, does not.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-03/russia-bolsters-central-asia-buffer-as-u-s-afghan-exit-looms?srnd=politics-vp