BASEL, December 4. /TASS/. Tajikistan hopes for further assistance from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in anti-drug trafficking efforts, Tajikistan’s Foreign Minister Sirodzhidin Aslov said on Thursday.

“We hope for further cooperation and assistance in this area,” he said.

He said that due to the withdrawal of the coalition forces from Afghanistan in 2014 “Afghanistan-related topics are coming to the fore for the international community.” “It is necessary to clearly understand that the borders of Afghanistan’s neighbours are the last ditch of the fight against drug trafficking,” Aslov said and called to pool efforts to strengthen these borders and to create state-of-the-art border service in Afghanistan.

A key to lasting peace in Afghanistan is socio-economic development of that country, he said and called for “financial, material and technical assistance” to Kabul under agreed target-oriented programs.

The Tajik foreign minister said his country’s government was thankful to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe for its support to Tajikistan’s efforts in strengthening the state border and counteracting such serious challenges as illegal trafficking of drugs, weapons and trade in humans.