Iran and Russia have signed a joint plan of action to tackle the issue of drug trafficking, Secretary General of Iran Drug Control Headquarters Eskandar Momeni told Sputnik on Thursday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th March, 2019) Iran and Russia have signed a joint plan of action to tackle the issue of drug trafficking, Secretary General of Iran Drug Control Headquarters Eskandar Momeni told Sputnik on Thursday."Yesterday, I held a meeting with Russian Interior Minister [Vladimir Kolokoltsev]. The meeting focused on the signing of the joint Iranian-Russian plan of action. I think, that the signed plan can result in good developments after its implementation," Momeni, who is currently on a visit to Russia, said, stressing that he and Kolokoltsev had exchanged information on the fight against drug trafficking.
He praised the development of the two countries' cooperation on the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking, adding that he and Kolokoltsev had agreed to deepen Russian-Iranian bilateral ties, as well as their cooperation at the regional and international levels.
Momeni added that Russia, Iran and China were also in talks on a trilateral initiative regarding drug trafficking. According to the Iranian official, his country, which has already approved the project, hopes that a relevant agreement will be reached.
Momeni went on to say that he had also discussed drug production in Afghanistan with Kolokoltsev.
"Iran spends over $1 billion a year on drug control and barriers at the borders alone. In 2018, 18 people [Iranian law enforcement officers] died, while 800 tonnes of drugs were discovered," Momeni said.
According to Momeni, while around 200 tonnes of drugs were produced annually in Afghanistan in 2000-2001, production now stands at around 10,000 tonnes per year. He praised the global community for supporting Iran on this matter, stressing that this help was vital for the country, which was at the forefront of drug trafficking fight.
