DUSHANBE, November 12, 2008, Asia-Plus — Fight against international terrorism and drug trafficking in Afghanistan will be among priority tasks of administration of the US elected President Barack Obama, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, Ambassador George A. Krol, remarked at a press conference in Dushanbe on November 11.
Asked why measures taken by international community to fight drug trafficking in Afghanistan have little effect, Ambassador Krol noted that the Unite States put terrorism and drug trafficking in the same plane.
“We realize well that drug trafficking is the main financial sources of international terrorism,” the Deputy Assistant Secretary said, noting that the NATO contingent and the Afghan authorities have made considerable success in reducing narcotics production in Afghanistan in the past year.
“According to information we have, opium poppy cultivation has been reduced in Afghanistan this year, especially in northern and eastern provinces,” said Ambassador Krol, “Afghan authorities assert that that 18 of 34 provinces of the country do not produce narcotics at all.”
According to him, the United States and Russia have similar positions on the issues of combating drug trafficking and Tajikistan has done a lot in the region for stabilization of situation in Afghanistan.
