KABUL - The Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Mr Yury Fedotov crossed to the Sher Khan border in Kunduz on Tuesday and met with the Afghan National Police North Zonal Commander and local Kunduz government officials.

Mr Fedotov who is on his first trip to Afghanistan visited the northeastern province of Kunduz to highlight regional cooperation in fighting drugs as a UN priority.

“In fighting drugs we are not lost. We did not win but we will win and it needs close cooperation of the regional countries,” Mr Fedotov told the Afghan and Tajikistan media who covered his meeting with Afghan authorities at the border.

“The regional cooperation is the best way to overcome drugs. It is the issue I have raised with Afghanistan President in our meeting,” said Mr Fedotov in his meeting with General Dawood Dawood, commander of 303 Pamir North Police Zone.

General Dawood appreciated the United Nations’ support in fighting drugs in Afghanistan, and suggested more UNODC cooperation with focus on counter-narcotics, border police training and equipment, and finding an alternative to poppy cultivation.

“Saffron as an alternative for poppy cultivation resulted well in southwestern provinces, we want a similar experience in the northern provinces,” said General Dawood who also requested the UNODC to establish drugs-testing laboratories for the Counter-Narcotics Police in Balkh and Kunduz provinces.

“Global terrorism and drugs smugglers have collaboration and they support each other, but we promise not to get tired fighting against them and we need the support of the international friends in this field,” said General Dawood. “Tajkistan is our good friend in fighting drugs, but we need the support of other Central Asian countries which are weak. We need your support to encourage them to extend their collaboration in this field,” he added.

On the other hand, Director Rustam Nazarov of the Tajikistan Drug Controlling Agency noted that “based on the signed agreement with the government of Afghanistan, we have very close collaboration on fighting drugs and fortunately it resulted in the reduction of drugs trafficking in the borders.”

By Shamsuddin Hamedi, UNAMA