Western countries are continuing efforts to destabilize the Eurasian region and are seeking to establish military infrastructure in Central Asia under the pretext of countering threats from Afghanistan, a senior Russian security official said.

Alexey Shevtsov, Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council, made the remarks during a session titled “CSTO-SCO: Security Space” at the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF).

Shevtsov said worsening economic conditions had not stopped Western countries from pursuing what he described as efforts to destabilize the Eurasian region. He claimed that, following the loss of colonial and neocolonial mechanisms of influence in Africa, Western countries were increasingly seeking access to Eurasia’s resources and logistics routes.

He pointed to conflicts and tensions in Ukraine, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Afghanistan, the Middle East, the Taiwan Strait and other areas as examples of what he described as Western efforts to destabilize the region.

According to Shevtsov, Western countries are also seeking to deploy military infrastructure in Central Asian countries, particularly by citing the threat from Afghanistan.

“Westerners continue to persistently attempt to deploy their military infrastructure in Central Asian countries, particularly under the pretext of countering the threat from Afghanistan,” Shevtsov said, arguing that the threat was being exaggerated for these purposes.

Shevtsov also said NATO countries conducted more than 100 military exercises in 2025, with most taking place on the alliance’s eastern flank. He claimed the exercises focused more on offensive than defensive operations, including breaching defensive positions and capturing territory.

The Russian official also cited the so-called “Trump route” in Armenia as another example of what he described as Western efforts to expand influence in the region. He claimed the project would be economically ineffective even under favorable conditions and could allow the United States to establish intelligence and potentially military infrastructure near Iran’s borders.

Shevtsov said the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) should play a central role in strengthening security and stability across Eurasia.

He argued that cooperation between the two organizations could serve as the basis for creating an architecture of “equal and indivisible security” in the region, encompassing both military and economic cooperation.

Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said he will not make positive comments about the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) as long as Afghan girls remain barred from attending school.

Speaking to the Financial Times during an interview at his home in Kabul, Karzai said IEA officials frequently contact him to complain about his public statements and ask why he does not say something positive about their government.

Karzai said he tells them that positive remarks will not come from him until girls are allowed to return to school. “When girls go back to school, I will have something positive to say about you. Not today,” he said.

The former president also described education for girls and women’s participation in society as fundamental to Afghanistan’s future. He said educated Afghan women are needed in business, schools, medicine, engineering, the judiciary and the media.

Karzai also called for political coexistence in Afghanistan, saying both the IEA and its opponents are Afghans and that the country needs compromise rather than another cycle of conflict and changes in power.

“The Taliban (IEA) belongs to Afghanistan. And the opposition to the Taliban (IEA) belongs to Afghanistan,” he said, adding that Afghanistan needs to become “a country for everyone.”

The former president also said the ongoing US-Iran conflict is having a significant impact on Afghanistan’s economy and regional stability. Given Afghanistan’s close historical, cultural and geographic ties with Iran, Karzai said Afghanistan strongly wants the conflict to end.

Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, Ubaid Ur Rehman Nizamani, met with Acting President Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani in Islamabad on Friday and briefed him on the regional security situation.

According to Pakistani officials, the discussions focused particularly on security developments affecting Pakistan’s peace and stability.

Earlier on Thursday, Nizamani met with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar in Islamabad. The meeting covered regional developments, including the evolving security situation and issues of relevance to Pakistan.

Dar stressed the importance of closely monitoring developments in the region, particularly those that could have implications for peace and security.