MOSCOW, April 30. /TASS/. Russia and Cabo Verde will boost cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said following talks with Cabo Verde’s top diplomat Luis Filipe Tavares on Tuesday.
According to Lavrov, a delegation from Cabo Verde held a meeting with Russian Interior Ministry officials on Monday. "The parties discussed law enforcement cooperation, including efforts to enhance ties in relation to the fight against drug trafficking," he noted.
Tavares, in turn, confirmed the Cabo Verde’s determination to continue cooperation with Russia in combating piracy and drug trafficking. "We have the same views on these issues. We will work together with Russia’s authorities to fight organized crime, including drug trafficking, for it is in our common interest," Tavares pointed out.
According to him, the parties discussed the entire range of global issues, confirming a convergence of views on certain matters. "I am confident that our political dialogue with Russia, which has been progressing, will develop at even faster pace in the future," Cabo Verde’s foreign minister said.
In late January, the ESER ship flying Panama’s flag, which had a Russian crew, was detained at Porto Praia. According to the Russian embassy in Cabo Verde, the country’s law enforcement agencies suspect the sailors of smuggling over nine tonnes of cocaine. A total of 12 Russians remain in custody.