DUSHANBE, May 16, Asia-Plus – On Tuesday May 15, Tajik Drug Control Agency Director, Lieutenant-General Rustam Nazarov, met in Dushanbe with Ambassador Hansjorg Kretchmer, Head of the European Commission (EC) to Afghanistan.
According to press service of the Tajik counternarcotics agency, Ambassador Kretchmer noted that he visited Tajikistan for the purpose of familiarizing himself with measures taken by the Government of Tajikistan to address the drug-trafficking challenges and determining priorities of cooperation between Tajikistan and Afghanistan in combating drug trafficking.
In the course of the talks the counternarcotics agency chief briefed Ambassador Kretchmer on drug situation in Tajikistan, efforts undertaken by the country’s government to fight drug trafficking, as well as activity of DCA. During the meeting, the two underlined an efficient activity of the DCA representative offices in northern Afghanistan and importance of their close cooperation with local law enforcement authorities, the source said.
Nazarov and Kretchmer also outlined priorities of further cooperation and exchanged of views on a progress of implementation of the European Commission’s programs in Tajikistan and Afghanistan.
At present 20 anti-drug programs supported by the United Nations and the European Commission are currently implemented in Tajikistan.
The DCA press service says Tajikistan tops CIS in the drug seizures. According to it, Tajikistan accounts for some 80 percent of drugs seized in Central Asia and some 65 percent of drugs seized within the CIS area. According to the UN Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Tajikistan stands in fourth place globally in terms of the amount of heroin seized, following China, Pakistan and Turkey, and in third place in terms of the amount of raw opium seized, following Iran and Pakistan.
