DUSHANBE, October 26, Asia-Plus — Cooperation between Tajikistan and Afghanistan in combating drug trafficking was a major topic of a meeting of Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi with visiting Afghan Minister of Counter Narcotics Zarar Ahmad Moqbel Osmani that took place here on October 25.
According to the Tajik MFA information department, the sides considered the draft regional program dedicated to the fight against drug trafficking in Afghanistan and neighboring countries. This program was initiated by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Afghan Ambassador to Tajikistan Abdul Ghaffar Arzu and UNODC Country Office Representative for Afghanistan Jean-Luc Lemahieu attended the meeting.
We will recall that Afghan Minister of Counter Narcotics Zarar Ahmad Moqbel Osmani and UNODC Country Office Representative for Afghanistan Jean-Luc Lemahieu met with Tajik drug control chief Rustam Nazarov on October 24.
Besides, an Afghan delegation, led by General Baz Mohammad Ahmadi, Deputy Minister of Interior for Counter-Narcotics, visited Tajikistan on October 18-22. The Afghan delegation’s visit resulted in signing of a protocol of cooperation between Tajik Drug Control Agency (DCA) and Afghan Interior Ministry.
The document reportedly provides for organization and carrying out of joint operations, collection and analysis of information on the drug-related crimes and training of personnel. Besides, the Afghan Interior Ministry’s liaison officers will be based in Tajikistan. The sides reached an arrangement on working out an appropriate agreement that is expected to be signed at the beginning of 2012.
