CSTO to Begin Sending Border Equipment to Tajikistan in Autumn
The secretary-general of the Collective Security Treaty Organization has said the first shipment of weapons and military equipment to strengthen Tajikistan’s border with Afghanistan will be handed over to Dushanbe this autumn, in a move that underscores continuing security concerns along the frontier.
According to Tajik media outlet KÖZ News, citing Russia’s state-run news agency TASS, Talatbek Masadykov said the final list of weapons and equipment needed to reinforce the border has been completed and approved by the organisation’s members.
He added that security along the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border is important not only for Tajikistan, but for all members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization. According to him, any possible incident in the area could become an issue beyond Tajikistan and draw in other CSTO members and countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Masadykov also said Russia plays a key role in providing weapons and equipment for Tajikistan. According to the report, agreement has also been reached with Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan on the possible supply of this equipment.
In 2024, the Collective Security Treaty Organization approved a five-year plan to strengthen the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border. The stated aim of the plan is to bolster border controls, improve infrastructure and equip Tajik border forces with modern security tools.
Afghanistan and Tajikistan share more than 1,300 kilometres of border, much of it along the Panj River. Tajikistan borders four northeastern Afghan provinces, and this strip of frontier is considered one of the region’s sensitive security areas.
