''Extremism on rise in Central Asia'': Top CSTO official

Moscow, May 22 (UNI) Radical political and religious forces were intensifying their activities in Central Asia, posing an unprecedented terrorist threat to the countries in the strategically important region, Nikolai Bordyuzha, the General Secretary of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) said today.

The CSTO is a post-Soviet security group, which includes Russia, Belarus, Armenia and four Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

''The terror threat remains imminent and political and religious extremism and illicit drug trade have been on the rise,'' Mr Bordyuzha said at the First Bishkek Media Forum in the Kyrgyz capital, which was organised to address the role of media in countering 21st century threats and challenges.

''Playing on persisting economic and social problems, the radical Hizb ut-Tahrir party has been expanding its operations.

The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan has been regrouping its military formations, which have survived since its nucleus was destroyed in an anti-terror operation in Afghanistan,'' RIA Novosti news agency quoted Mr Bordyuzha as saying.

The goal of these two extremist groups was to overthrow the secular regimes in Central Asia and establish a theocratic entity of a caliphate type in the Ferghana Valley, he said.

''All this is a threat to the territorial integrity of three states -- Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan -- to say nothing of the real prospect of destabilisation of the geo-political situation in the region,'' he added.

He also pointed out that the illicit drugs remained a serious threat to regional stability.

''Central Asia remains the main trans-shipping corridor for smuggling drugs from Afghanistan to countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and further to Europe. The flow of illicit drugs from Afghanistan to Central Asia remains stable and complete,'' Mr Bordyuzha said.

Stressing that the Afghan problem was one of the most serious risks and threats for Central Asia, he said NATO's operation in Afghanistan had been facing serious setbacks, failing to eliminate terror and other criminal armed groups in that country.

''Given the coalition forces' weakness, the neighbouring countries of our region may again find themselves confronted with the Taliban's aggressive actions,'' Mr Bordyuzha warned.

On NATO's increasing presence in Central Asia, he said the alliance was trying to consolidate its presence in Caucasus and Central Asia.

''But there are also other external challenges and risks that undermine stability in the post-Soviet space, primarily the growing activities of extra-regional structures, mainly NATO, the European Union and third countries,'' he said.

UNI