Threat of terrorists invading Central Asia still remains: CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha

Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha states that the threat of terrorists invading Central Asia still remains, "Interfax Kazakhstan" reports. “We are concerned (…) about influence Afghanistan exerts on Central Asia. Extremist groups are growing active. Some part of youth coming from CSTO states are being trained in Afghanistan. There is a risk of terror groups invading Central Asia”, Bordyuzha said when meeting Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev August 6. According to him, “Islamism organizations are getting more active. The numbers of so-called religious “opposition” and some terror groups are on the rise. There have been cases of drugs trafficking money interwining with extremism and terror organizations”. “On the whole we do say that the situation is stable, but there are some worrisome issues. In this context, a number of states need assistance to ensure their safety”, he said. The Collective Security Treaty Organization, formed under the framework of the Commonwealth of Independent States 15 May 1992, serves as a mutual defense alliance among Russia, Belarus, Armenia and the four Central Asian states except Turkmenistan. Nikolai Bordyuzha is a Russian general and politician. On April 28, 2003, he was appointed Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization.