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Russian, Iranian anti-drug services agree on joint actions

The sides will regularly exchange experience not only in anti-drug struggle but also in the treatment of drug addicts

MOSCOW, January 24 (Itar-Tass) — The Russian and Iranian antidrug services have agreed to exchange experience, information and hold joint operations against drugs trafficking.

A meeting of the Director of the Russian drug control agency FSKN Viktor Ivanov and Iranian Interior Minister, Secretary-General of the country's Drug Control Headquarters Mostafa Mohammad Najjar on Tuesday ended with the signing of a protocol on cross-border cooperation by Russian and Iranian anti-drug services and a plan for joint anti-drug action for 2012-2014.

“These are serious documents, which transfer our cooperation to the sphere of joint detective measures,” Ivanov said.

He underscored the intensive anti-drug cooperation between Russia and Iran. It is a third meeting with Najjar over just one year, he added.

Najjar also expressed his satisfaction over active anti-drug cooperation with Russia. The Iranian minister underlined the fact that this interaction “gains an absolutely new meaning” amid the current developments in the region.

Among negative factors Najjar mentioned the situation in Syria, Iraq and what he described as “the United States’ instigation against the Islamic Republic of Iran.” According to Najjar, all these political events “contribute to destabilization in the region and intensification of drugs-trafficking and organized crime.”

In addition, the Iranian interior minister strongly criticized the US and NATO for "indifference" to the efforts to eliminate drug crops in Afghanistan.

He thanked Russia for vetoing the UN resolution on Syria and expressed the certainty Russia “has a good opportunity” to establish economic cooperation with Iran, Iraq and Syria.

The talks continued behind closed doors.

According to the FSKN’s press service, the Russian and Iranian anti-drug agencies intend, within the framework of the signed documents, to “work out mechanisms to exchange on-line information, including information about drug crops and laboratories, and to hold joint operations against drugs smuggling.”

In addition, the sides plan to define a format of Iran's participation in the interregional anti-drug operation code-named Channel and to exchange information about drugs trafficking in the Caspian and illegal deliveries of precursors to Afghanistan.

The services will be exchanging information on suspects in the laundering of incomes from drug trafficking and on new types of drugs.

In addition, the sides will regularly exchange experience not only in anti-drug struggle but also in the treatment of drug addicts.

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