Pubdate: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 Source: Tehran Times (Iran) Copyright: 2003 Tehran Times Contact: http://www.tehrantimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1903 MOSCOW WELCOMES ANTI-DRUG COOPERATION WITH TEHRAN TEHRAN -- Russian Ambassador to Tehran Alexander Maryasov in a meeting here Monday with Secretary General of Iran's Drug Control Headquarters (IDCH) Ali Hashemi handed him a message on behalf of his Russian counterpart. In his letter, the Russian drug czar called for closer cooperation and coordination between Tehran and Moscow on the anti-drug campaign, IRNA reported. "We consider Iran as main factor of stability in the region and Russia as a powerful country cooperates with Iran in many areas, including waging an effective anti-narcotics campaign," the Russian ambassador said. "Iran is a principal player in the anti-drug fight on the international scene." Hashemi expressed Iran's readiness to expand cooperation with Russia, adding, "The country has bore a heavy burden in fighting drug trafficking in the past 24 years." Over 2.3 million kg of assortment of drugs have been seized and close to dlrs one billion has been spent on beefing up Iran's borders to counter the flow of narcotics, He underlined. In a measure of Iran's seriousness to wage an effective campaign against narcotics, Hashemi said here last month that Iran has signed anti-drug agreements with over 30 countries. South Africa was the latest country with which Iran inked an agreement on reducing narcotics demand as well as preventing its trafficking, He said. "We are in discussions to sign protocols with 26 more countries." The Iranian officials have cautioned time and again on the threat that illicit drugs pose to the country's social fabric, and stressing the need for stemming the drug flow to the country. Head of Police Organization Drug Control Headquarters Brigadier General Mahdi Abouei has said the amount of drugs coming into the country from eastern borders has increased significantly. He also slammed the western powers on their lack of cooperation with Iran on combating drug trafficking. Abouei said despite Iran's efforts in controlling the drug flow to western countries, 'unfortunately these countries have not shown effective cooperation with Iran to stem the drug flow from Iran or control its production in Afghanistan'. He said over 3,500 to 4,000 tons of narcotics were produced in Afghanistan last year and 'organized gang of narcotics smugglers have shown no bounds and have multiplied their level of activities compared to last year'. In the first quarter of the current Iranian year (started March 21) police seized over 45 tons of narcotics throughout the country. "The amount is 32 percent higher than in the same period last year," the police official stated. - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart