Russia wants CSTO security alliance to boost cooperation over Afghanistan

FILE PHOTO: Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu attends the opening ceremony of the International military-technical forum "Army-2021" at Patriot Congress and Exhibition Centre in Moscow Region, Russia, Aug. 23, 2021. Sputnik/Ramil Sitdikov/Kremlin via REUTERS

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Moscow will work more closely with fellow members of a post-Soviet security alliance as the withdraw of U.S. forces from Afghanistan raises regional security risks, Russia's defence minister was quoted as saying on Saturday.

The U.S. exit from Afghanistan has created a security headache for Moscow, which sees former Soviet Central Asia as part of its southern defensive flank and fears the spread of radical Islam.