NEW DELHI. April 28 (Interfax) - Radical extremist groups that secured a foothold in Afghanistan have intensified their activities in neighboring countries, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said at a meeting of the defense ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member countries in New Delhi on Friday.
"The situation in the Central Asia has prerequisites for escalating further. That said, the main threat is coming from the numerous radical extremist groups that have gained a foothold in the territory of Afghanistan and have intensified their activities to promote their ideas in neighboring countries," Shoigu said.
The minister also noted "the growing probability of penetration [into Central Asia] by gangs of various international terrorist organizations, such as ISIL [banned in Russia], Al Qaeda [banned in Russia], the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan [banned in Russia], and the East Turkestan Islamic Movement [banned in Russia]."
"It requires our proper coordination and an intensification of efforts to fight terrorism, separatism and extremism, as well as the development of measures to stabilize the situation in the region," Shoigu said, emphasizing the importance of keeping the Afghanistan issue on the SCO agenda.
"Without comprehensive international and regional assistance, it will be difficult for this country to cope with all challenges on its own," he said.