KABUL - H.E. the Minister of Counter Narcotics of Afghanistan, Zarar Ahmad Moqbel Osmani and the Country Office Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Afghanistan, Mr. Jean-Luc Lemahieu, visited Turkmenistan and Tajikistan last week, to foster greater regional cooperation on counter-narcotics.

“We must recognize and understand the interconnected challenges facing Afghanistan, including: the continued insurgency and illicit cultivation, which are interlinked and the production and trafficking of narcotic drugs, both of which pose a serious threat to the stability of Afghanistan, its neighbors and other countries”, said H.E. the Minister of Counter Narcotics of Afghanistan, Zarar Ahmad Moqbel Osmani.

Minister Osmani stressed the need to reinforce and intensify joint efforts at the national, regional and international levels to tackle the global challenge of countering narcotics in a more comprehensive, effective and efficient manner.

The Minister and the UNODC Representative met in Turkmenistan with Mr. Aman Garayev, Head of State Drug Control Service and Chairman of the State Coordination Commission on countering drugs; Mr. Vepa Hajiyev, First Deputy Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Mr. Myrat Islamov, Head of the State Border Guard Service, Commander of the Frontier Troops and Mr. Miroslav Jenca, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General.

“Afghanistan has a strategic approach and vision towards countering narcotics. We must understand that there is a greater need for joint effort and regional cooperation in order to overcome the challenges of countering narcotics. By jointly identifying drug traffickers and disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking networks, we can substantively reduce cultivation, tackle the flow of psycho-tropics, reduce trafficking and the illegal consumption of drugs and precursors”, said the Minister.

In Tajikistan, the meetings were held with General Nazarov Rustam, the Director of Drug Control Agency under the President of Republic of Tajikistan; Kaharov Abdurakhim the Minister of Internal Affairs; Yatimov Saimumin, the Chairman of the State Committee for National Security; Zarifi Hamrohon the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Nodirov Ravil, the Deputy Minister of Defence.

“We are all burned by the same flame and the international shared responsibility is an accepted principle,” said Mr. Jean-Luc Lemahieu. “The methodology to clean up the drugs situation in Afghanistan is known. However no solution will be forthcoming if not all stakeholders - national, regional and international demonstrate the political will to make the difference. Hence the importance of these regional discussions, the leadership shown by Minister Moqbel, and the launch of the Regional Program for Afghanistan and Neighboring Countries”, he emphasized.

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Jelena Bjelica
External Relations
Research, Advocacy and Information
Afghanistan Country Office
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
Mob: +93 796 520 857
Website: www.unodc.org