Russia has once again emphatically announced that there will be no dilution in its commitment to Tajikistan – a country that is staunchly opposed to the Taliban, which has attacked ethnic Tajiks in the Panjsher valley, many of whom have taken refuge inside the country.

On Friday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation. 

"All necessary assistance will be provided to Tajikistan if required, both within the (Moscow-led) Collective Security Treaty Organisation framework and bilaterally," Rudenko was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency, according to Reuters.

"There are indeed reports that the Taliban cannot control the situation (in northern Afghanistan)… Still, we hope they will honour the promises they have made (about not attacking neighbours)," Rudenko added.

Russia's unambiguous statement assumes importance as there have been some apprehensions in Dushanbe that Moscow's position towards the Central Asian frontline state may get retuned after Moscow decided to engage with the Taliban in the formation of a new government in Kabul.

But, Rudenko's statement has set the record state about Russia's full support for Tajikistan, which already hosts a Russian 201 motorised division in two bases – Dushanbe and nearby Bashkor.

As reported by India Narrative, Dushanbe is deeply worried about several jihadist organisations getting active after the return of the Taliban in Afghanistan, thus posing a serious threat to several Central Asian countries, especially Tajikistan.

Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon has been highlighting the threat Taliban's return to power in Kabul poses to regional security and stability.

All members of the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) – Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan – which chairs the organisation in 2021 – have already said that they are alarmed by the "unfavourable" situation along the Afghan border.

The members, including Russia, have also vowed to support Tajikistan with all "necessary military and military-technical assistance" in case the situation on the southern borders deteriorates.

A 'Declaration of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation' was adopted after a meeting in Dushanbe recently which was attended by Rahmon, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev and Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov.

It had announced that, in order to develop cooperation in countering the challenges and threats emerging from the Taliban, a series of large-scale exercises of the CSTO will be held at the Tajik-Afghan border.

India Narrative reported earlier this week that units of the Russian military base in Tajikistan have already arrived at the Harb-Maidon training ground, just 20 kilometers from the Tajik-Afghan border, where large-scale CSTO military exercises will begin shortly.

Also Read: Russian military reaches Afghanistan's border ahead of major exercise in Central Asia

Tajikistan – a frontline state – shares a long border with Afghanistan (1344 km) which in many sections passes through the inaccessible high-mountainous terrain.

The Central Asian countries have emphasised that the activities of ISIS and other international terrorist groups are one of the key components of the instability in Afghanistan, including in its northern provinces.

Also Read: Central Asia frontline unites to confront Taliban on the Tajik-Afghan border