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Russia, ASEAN agree to address use of DarkWeb for drug-related purposes — statement

The parties agreed to "increase national, regional capacity and capability to respond to challenges posed by the misuse of the Internet and other modern technologies such as DarkWeb and digital currencies for criminal drug-related purposes"

SINGAPORE, October 28. /TASS/. Russia and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have agreed to boost cooperation in the fight against threats coming from the DarkWeb and digital currencies with regard to drug-related crimes, according to a statement on cooperation against illicit drug trafficking adopted at the fourth Russia-ASEAN summit that took place via video conference on Thursday .

The parties agreed to "increase national, regional capacity and capability to respond to challenges posed by the misuse of the Internet and other modern technologies such as DarkWeb and digital currencies for criminal drug-related purposes."

The leaders also agreed to "strengthen bilateral and regional cooperation and information sharing, in particular among judicial and law enforcement authorities, to respond to the serious challenges posed by the increasing links between drug trafficking, corruption and other forms of transnational organized crime, including trafficking in persons, trafficking in firearms, money laundering, and financing of terrorism."

The parties intend to "continue effective measures to prevent, significantly reduce or eliminate illicit crop cultivation and production of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors and NPS, as well as their trafficking to Southeast Asia, the Russian Federation and other regions."

According to the statement, Russia and ASEAN nations "maintain the integrity of the existing international drug control system to take joint actions against the legalization of drugs for non-medical and non-scientific purposes or to weaken international control over any type of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances without relevant, verifiable and reliable scientific evidence."

ASEAN includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Russia was granted the status of ASEAN partner as part of a regional dialogue in July 1996. In 2004, Moscow joined the 1976 Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, a basic document regulating ASEAN's relations with its dialogue partners.

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