SOCHI, May 30 (Itar-Tass) - The outcome of the eighth meeting of the Working Group on combating drug trafficking US-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission, held in Sochi, the signing of the protocol on further cooperation between the two countries’ drug policemen. The document was signed by Russia’s Federal Drug Control Service (FSKN) Viktor Ivanov and Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy of the US president’s administration Gil Kerlikowske.
As a sign of gratitude for cooperation Ivanov handed to his US counterpart the Medal “10 Years of the FSKN in Russia.”
“The working group is working smoothly, regularly in a number of spheres,” Ivanov stressed at a press conference held after the group’s plenary meeting. “We are expanding the geography of our meetings. The fact that we hold this meeting in Sochi is not accidental and is very symbolic because Sochi - the capital of a future Winter Olympics is creating a nice warm climate during our meeting.”
At the meeting in Sochi the fighters against drug trafficking discussed the issues of combating the global drug threat, drug demand reduction, the fight against the laundering of proceeds from crime and anti-drug policies of their countries. The recently made public fact of liquidation in northern Afghanistan of a network of drug factories is a successful example of international cooperation. The operation involved drug policemen of Russia and the United States.
Kerlikowske for his part noted that the measures against drug addiction in America are similar to those that are taken in Russia. America also has programs that help people to recover from addiction and integrate into society. He praised the work of Russia’s security services in countering the global drug threat. The fact that Director Ivanov will hold a conference in Moscow next week on this subject that will be attended by security services of different countries, testifies to Russia’s major contribution to the international cooperation. Certainly, we will see a reduction in drug trafficking from Afghanistan, said the US official.