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Russia cannot rely on NATO in fight against drug trafficking — drug control service chief

“We can resolve this global problem only through joint efforts of a bigger number of industrialized countries,” Viktor Ivanov says
A British military patrols near a poppy field in Afghanistan (archive) AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool
A British military patrols near a poppy field in Afghanistan (archive)
© AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool

MOSCOW, March 25. /ITAR-TASS/. Head of Russia’s Federal Drug Control Service has expressed confidence that in the global fight against drug trafficking, Russia can rely only on BRICS nations and states neighboring drug producing regions, but not on NATO.

“We can resolve this global problem only through joint efforts of a bigger number of industrialized countries,” Viktor Ivanov told a meeting of the expert community in the run-up to a ministerial meeting of heads of anti-drug agencies. “Of course, I speak of G8 member-states, but as experience proves we need to really rely, first of all, on BRICS nations — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — and countries neighboring drug producing regions free of obligations and secret decisions of NATO’s military and political bureau.”