Russia will initiate the setting up of an anti-drug commission to fight against the flow of narcotics from Afghanistan, when it chairs the UN Security Council in August. The head of Russia's Federal Drug Control Service, Victor Ivanov announced that at a meeting of the State Anti-Drug Committee in Moscow.
Victor Ivanov described the possibility of putting the question on the agenda of the UN Security Council as a "unique chance". Drug-traffic from Afghanistan has long become a headache to the majority of European countries, China and especially, Russia. The head of the Federal Drug Control Service urges these countries to coordinate their efforts in fighting drug trafficking. He believes Russia could head the fight against this danger under the commission. He also insists that it is high time to recognize the issue as a threat to international peace and security. The chairman of the Observers Council of the Institute of Demography, Migration and Regional Development, Yuri Krupnov agrees with him.
In an interview with the Voice of Russia, he said: "It must be said that Russia has great opportunities in this case. Notably, the Soviet Union was a founding member of the United Nations and, Russia is its successor and a permanent member of its Security Council that adopts relevant decisions on the status of threats. When it will be the rotating chairman of the Security Council in August, it should simply raise the question of Afghan drug trafficking that inflicts suffering on Russia more than others. In fact, the production of narcotics in Afghanistan is affecting entire Eurasia, Russia, the European Union and China. In these circumstances, it is important that Russia starts forming an anti-drug axis, Moscow-Beijing Brussels. This initiative meets the interests of Eurasia and the world as a whole".
Until now, the UN policy towards the issue has been proved to be ineffective. Actually, the issue has been handed over to the NATO forces that have been carrying out anti-terrorist operations in Afghanistan for years. Moreover, NATO forces have authorized the Afghan authorities, often regional authorities, to handle the issue. Consequently, drug production has increased many times in the past few years, and leading drug dealers have remained unpunished more often. In short, the situation has gone out of control. Moreover, the routes of transportation of Afghan narcotics have been diversified. However, special services say that a large amount of narcotics pass through Georgia, and about 7 tons of heroin are brought to Europe and Russia annually along this route.
Drug trafficking has not only affected economic, demographic and social situations in Eurasia but has also become a challenge to civilization. Some experts say that Afghanistan has unleashed a full-scale narcotic aggression.
Perhaps, after Russia becomes the chairman of the UN Security Council, some countries will show desire and willingness to organize a world-wide movement against drug trafficking from Afghanistan. In any case, Russia is determined to break the deadlock. The reason is that narcotics not only kill individuals but also disrupt peaceful development of the region and beyond it.
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