MOSCOW, May 16. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia’s Federal Drug Control Service (FSKN) head Viktor Ivanov urged the BRICS countries to develop methods for assessing the influence of drug trafficking.

BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) has a big potential that should be used to fight drug trafficking, Ivanov said.

“On Thursday, (at the ministerial anti-drug conference) all parties agreed to cooperate based on a balanced approach. Drug trafficking is not only the problem of law enforcement agencies. Moreover, international drug trafficking posed a threat to global peace and security,” Ivanov said at a meeting of BRICS anti-drug agencies on Friday.

Drug trafficking facilitates the destruction of state institutions and hampers the economic development. It is linked with extremism, violence and money laundering, he said.

“Drug trafficking fosters economic and social disintegration and destroys family values. Our priority is to work out common methods for assessing the influence of drug trafficking on our states’ life,” Ivanov said.