Lavrov: Russia is ready to use its military base in Tajikistan to protect allies

“We will do everything, including using the capabilities of the Russian military base on the border of Tajikistan with Afghanistan, in order to prevent any aggressive inclinations against the allies”, - TASS quotes Lavrov as saying after talks with Laotian Foreign Minister Salemsai Kommasit.

Lavrov pointed out that the current situation in Afghanistan tends to "rapidly deteriorate" against the background of the withdrawal of American "and other NATO troops, which have not achieved tangible results over the decades in this country" in terms of its stabilization.

The day before, Washington announced the withdrawal of 90% of its troops from Afghanistan. Earlier, the withdrawal of American troops led to the activation of the Taliban movement (recognized as terrorist and prohibited on the territory of the Russian Federation) in the region. The Taliban drove the Afghan military out of the country, which they were forced to do to Tajikistan. On the night of July 5, about a thousand Afghan soldiers left the country.