DUSHANBE
, July 11, Asia-Plus –
Russia
suggested creating belts of drug and financial security around
Afghanistan
to seal off drug trafficking aiding terrorists.
Speaking at a meeting of the UN Security Council on
Afghanistan
on Wednesday, Russian chief delegate to the UN Vitaly Churkin emphasised that such a measure would deprive “drug barons and terrorists of their financial basis”.
The Russian ambassador noted that the initiative on creating such belts had been put forth by
Russia
at the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Bishkek in August 2007.
He called for involving better possibilities of regional associations which proved their effectiveness in work in this sphere, including the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
Churkin called the Channel drug operation, conducted under the CSTO aegis since 2003, as the most effective international mechanism of barring the flow of Afghan drugs. Over 28 tonnes of drugs and precursors were seized during the operation in 2007 alone.
According to the chief delegate,
Russia
, other CSTO member states,
China
,
Iran
, the
US
and European countries actively participate in the operation. African countries also joined the operation since 2007.
Russia deems it necessary “to develop practical cooperation between the CSTO and NATO in the sphere of anti-terrorist and anti-drug operations, which would help to increase results of efforts by the International Security Assistance Force operating in
Afghanistan
”, the Russian ambassador said.
