DUSHANBE, November 9, Asia-Plus – Increase in production of drugs in Afghanistan poses threat to security of many countries, especially to the Central Asian region, Chairman of Mini Dublin Group (MDG) and Italy’s Ambassador to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, Angelo Persiani remarked in Dushanbe yesterday, opening an international roundtable meeting.
According to Tajikistan’s Drug Control Agency (DCA), the meeting was dedicated to introduction of a mechanism of coordinated approach to the fight against smuggling of drugs out of Afghanistan into Central Asia and European countries.
“Drug trafficking provides financial support to the terrorist activity, impacts increase in crime and involves population, including youth, in its illegal sphere,” said Persiani, “Therefore expansion of international cooperation and planning of joint programs aimed at preventing drug trafficking acquire a special significance today.”
James Callahan, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Representative, Central Asia, telling the meeting noted, “Despite strengthening of the fight of Afghanistan’s government and international community against drug trafficking, Afghanistan still stands in fourth place globally in terms of production drugs and opium cultivation has increased there.” He said that compared to 2005 opium cultivation in Afghanistan this year had increased by 59 percent. It may bring to reduction in prices of narcotics, and drug dealers will seek new ways of transporting narcotics through the so-called “northern route.”
Participants at the meeting discussed issues related to fighting the smuggling of drugs in the Central Asian region. They also considered measures to unite the practical activities of the counternarcotics agencies of the Central Asian countries.
The meeting participants have reached the conclusion that cooperation both at regional and international, as well as interdepartmental levels, should be boosted to increase the efficiency of the fight against this international evil and defined main directions for the next year, which include strengthening of border control, creation of legal and institutional frames for fighting drug trafficking and organized crime and expansion of regional cooperation.
The meeting participants included members of the MDG, diplomatic missions and international organizations accredited in Tajikistan.
