<p><a href="/en/afganistan/kabul" class="glossify-link">KABUL</a> National Security Advisor (NSA) Dr. Hamdullah Mohib has said hybrid threats are intertwined, interdependent and interconnected and need a joint response and a long-term strategic view.</p>
<p>Addressing a meeting in Ufa, Russia, that brought together dozens of countries to discuss security issues, Mohib said quick fixes and alliances, particularly with non-state actors, only exacerbated the situation and could not guarantee a secure future for the region.</p>
<p>He said there was high concentration of hybrid threats in the region and it required serious and collective action to fight them.</p>
<p>He asked the meeting participants to make counter terrorism efforts their top priority as only in Afghanistan, at least 50 people paid the ultimate sacrifice in the fight against terrorism on a daily basis.</p>
<p>Mohib said terrorists and drug traffickers were two sides of the same coin because narcotics were known as the main source of revenue for terrorism.</p>
<p>He also stressed countering financial crimes to ensure national security of states; fight against money laundering, illegal transactions through unregistered hawala systems.</p>
<p>The Afghan NSA also south attention to border cooperation as thousands of people crossed borders in the region illegally to join terrorist groups.</p>
<p>He said joint cooperation to manage borders in the region, share information in real time, and equip border forces with required technology was important to fight hybrid threats.</p>
<p>Mohib also said cybercrimes were another means of hybrid warfare that threatened their countries.</p>
<p>“Afghanistan stands ready to enter into bilateral and regional partnerships through MoUs to limit and eliminate the use of the cyber space by destructive elements that create terror in our societies and prevent us from development.”</p>
<p>While threats do exist, he said our region has taken numerous positive initiatives for the security and development of our countries.</p>
<p>He called the Shanghai Cooperation Organization an important mechanism to further regional cooperation for shared security of the region.</p>
<p>He said Afghanistan’s vision was to become the economic roundabout of the region which contributed greatly to stability and economic development of all.</p>
<p>“Afghanistan has taken firm steps to connect South and Central Asia through TAPI, CASA 1000, Chabahar port, and other mega regional economic initiatives.”</p>
<p>Mohib said their view was that an economic-centric approach to integrate the region strengthened security of states.</p>
<p>pr/ma</p>
