NOVO-OGARYOVO, July 10 (RIA Novosti) – Russia will continue assisting security services of CIS countries in personnel training, President Vladimir Putin said Thursday.
“We will continue helping our friends from the Commonwealth states to train personnel for the special services, for the security bodies. I want to assure you that we will continue doing so in the future, naturally coordinating it with your needs and requests,” Putin said during a meeting with heads of CIS member countries’ security services.
The president added that the Commonwealth’s security agencies should be ready for any scenario in Afghanistan after the international coalition withdraws its troops from the country. Putin, however, expressed hope that Afghan authorities will be able to handle the domestic situation.
“We all understand perfectly well and constantly say that the situation in Afghanistan will not become better or more peaceful after that [withdrawal of troops] and we have to be ready for any scenario, although, of course, we will presume the best, we will presume that the situation will be under the control of official authorities. We will contribute to it,” Putin underlined.
The Russian leader noted that effective functioning of the CIS’ security services is possible only with cooperation.
“We are facing common challenges and threats. Part of them I have named, but there are also specific ones that are typical for certain regions of the world – I mean Afghanistan,” the president said.
The US and its NATO allies will complete the military operation in Afghanistan this year. The Northern Alliance is preparing to pull out its troops by the end of 2014. After that only a few thousand US servicemen will remain in Afghanistan to train the local Army and police, preparing them to independently provide security in the country.
