US wants regional authority in Central Asia: Patrushev
The 10th meeting of the secretaries of the CIS security councils is taking place on November 3 to discuss regional and global security and the situation in Ukraine.
Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev said Thursday that the US wants to examine a potential war scene in Central Asia by refining its digital maps there for high-precision arms, insinuating intentions of establishing temporary regional infrastructure against terrorism.
At the meeting of the secretaries of the security councils of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Patrushev said: "The US needs this [the establishment of temporary infrastructure in Central Asia for counterterrorist operations] to, first of all, study a potential theater of war, fine-tune coordinates of possible targets and correct digital maps for high-precision weapons,"
The US, according to Patrushev, is still adamant on reaching an agreement with Central Asian countries, and is attempting to establish a military infrastructure in the region at the same time that the Regional Cooperation 2022 exercise was being held in Tajikistan's capital, Dushanbe, from August 10 to 20.
Regional Cooperation 2022 focused on improving multinational stability and counterterrorism operations, according to a statement. The drills were held in Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and Mongolia.
The 10th meeting of the secretaries of the CIS security councils is taking place on November 3 to discuss regional and global security and the situation in Ukraine. Nuclear security and current developments in Central Asia are also on the agenda.
At the last meeting of the heads of intelligence agencies of the CIS countries in September, after the fourth explosion hit the Nord Stream pipelines, Patrushev relayed that the United States is the main beneficiary of the emergency situation.
"Literally from the first minutes after reports of explosions on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines, the West launched an active campaign to find those responsible. However, it is obvious that the main beneficiary, primarily economic, is the United States," Patrushev said.