MOSCOW (TASS) — Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolay Patrushev begins a two-day visit to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan on Wednesday, the press service of the Security Council said.

“Patrushev will visit Dushanbe on October 30 and Tashkent on October 31 to hold consultations with the Security Councils of these countries”, the press service said.

Patrushev met his counterparts from these countries in May on the sidelines of an annual meeting of security chiefs of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Bishkek. At a meeting of Security Council Secretaries from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in June, also in Bishkek, Patrushev promised Russia’s support to Tajikistan’s army and security services amidst the threats coming from terrorist organizations in Afghanistan.

Patrushev holds security consultations with his counterparts from foreign countries on a regular basis. In mid-October, he visited Cuba and Brazil. In mid-September, he paid a two-day visit to Japan. In later August, he led a Russian delegation to security consultations in Malaysia and Singapore. He also visited Yerevan, Baku and Minsk in the past several months.

His previous visit to Dushanbe took place in November 2017, and to Tashkent in September 2017.