CSTO could send peacekeepers to Afghanistan after 2014

A collective peacekeeping contingent from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) could be sent to Afghanistan after 2014 following the International Security Assistance Force's withdrawal from that country, said the CSTO's deputy general secretary, Valery Semerikov.

"The current situation, especially after the decision was made to remove some of the coalition forces from Afghanistan, has been in the focus of our attention and remains on the agenda of discussions at various levels," Semerikov said at a news conference at Interfax in Almaty on Tuesday.

"The decision on the possible use of collective peacekeeping forces is to be made by the Collective Security Council. But the prospect will depend to an even larger extent on the actual situation in Afghanistan," he said.

The CSTO has set up a working group for Afghanistan, comprised of representatives of the member-organizations, and its purpose is to assess the situation in Afghanistan and to make relevant proposals, Semerikov said.

"A plan for Afghanistan has been adopted and we are working already to localize the drug trafficking channels coming from Afghanistan, which we think will become even busier after 2014," he said.

The international coalition earlier confirmed plans to remove its troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

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