Russia sees no positive developments in Afghanistan

Russia sees no positive developments in Afghanistan, a high-ranking Russian diplomat said Friday. "Unfortunately, there are no positive trends in development in Afghanistan," deputy director of the Asian Department in the Russian Foreign Ministry, Alexei Dedov, told reporters. The diplomat briefed journalists following a meeting of the working group on Afghanistan within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Dedov, serving as the working group's chairman, said the extremists' influence in Afghanistan has been on the rise. ' To change the worsened situation, both the Afghan government and the international community must solve a number of issues, including growing economy, strengthening statehood, fighting corruption and reforming the judicial system. "But the main task is to enhance combat readiness of the (Afghan) armed forces so they could be capable of countering terrorism and drug-related crimes on their own," Dedov said. The CSTO currently comprises six countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States, namely Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan. The CSTO's working group on Afghanistan also plans to discuss in December a transit of NATO consignment being withdrawn from that country via Russian territory.