DUSHANBE, April 29, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- The seventh meeting of the working group on Afghanistan within the council of foreign ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) was held in Moscow yesterday.

According to press release issued by the CSTO Secretariat said, the meeting participants exchanged views on the present situation in Afghanistan.  During the meeting it was noted that the situation in the country remained tense and the threat of spread of international terrorism, illicit drug trafficking and transnational organized crime has not yet been removed.

Under such conditions, it is necessary to put issues related to coordination of activities of member nations of the CSTO on the Afghan direction, coordination of steps taken by international and regional organizations dealing with security matters in the forefront, the SCTO deputy secretary general A. Badalyan said. 

The meeting also considered the draft plan of joint actions of the CSTO member nations on supporting stabilization of the situation in Afghanistan and addressing the drug threat emanating from this country and reviewed the results of work carried out by the working group since the beginning of this year, press release said.

The working group on Afghanistan within the council of the CSTO foreign ministers was established by the Collective Security Council’s resolution of June 25, 2005.