Putin urges Asia to cooperate on fighting terrorism at CICA

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Asian countries were called on by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday for closer cooperation with the international data bank to fight terrorism.

At the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Astana, Putin said, "We invite all Asian countries to carry out closer cooperation with the international data bank approved at the initiative of Russia to counter terrorism."

Putin brings awareness to threats facing poor countries 

At the conference, Putin also raised the matter of the potential, yet real threat of famine and social uprisings in the developing and poorest nations due to the staggering increase in global prices of energy, food, and raw materials. 

"Our conference and other regional associations have to solve many acute problems. I mean, among other things, the increased volatility of world prices for energy resources, food, fertilizers, raw materials and other important goods. This leads to a deterioration in the quality of life in both developed and developing countries. Moreover, there is a real threat of famine and widespread social upheavals, especially in the poorest countries," Putin expressed. 

Afghanistan is among most pressing security matters 

Afghanistan is considered one of the most acute security challenges in the region, which according to Putin, fell into problems it cannot solve by itself following the withdrawal of US occupation forces.

"Unfortunately, Afghanistan remains one of the most acute security challenges for our region. My colleagues have already spoken about it today. After over 20-year military presence of the United States and NATO, and the failure of their policies, the country has proved unable to independently solve problems related to terrorist threats," Putin said, after bringing up the explosion that occurred at the Russian Embassy in Kabul in September and a series of "continuous bloody terrorist attacks" after that.

As he called on the international community, in addition to suggesting the inclusion of the SCO in the process, to promote and advocate for Afghanistan's economic recovery. "First of all, we call for compensating for the damage caused to Afghans during the years of occupation and unfreezing the illegally blocked Afghan assets," the Russian President said.

The Taliban took power in Afghanistan in August 2021, battling a local chapter of IS, which is believed to be responsible for the majority of terrorist attacks and bomb explosions in Afghanistan. Financial aid has been halted by the World Bank and the IMF which accounted for nearly 75% of Afghanistan's public expenditure, and the US has placed a $7 billion asset freeze on the Afghan central bank