Remarks of the Acting Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the International Organizations in Vienna Mr. Georgy Mikhno on the Afghan Opium Survey 2017

Your Excellency Executive Director of the UNODC Mr. Yury Fedotov,

Dear colleagues,

We would like to express our appreciation to the UNODC for presenting the results of the Afghanistan Opium Survey 2017. This important publication prepared by the UNODC together with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan presents a comprehensive overview of the situation with opium cultivation in Afghanistan and allows us to closely monitor the drug situation and provide a timely and efficient international response.

For many years now developments in the drug situation in Afghanistan continue to be a matter of our grave concern. Unfortunately, it seems to be going from bad to worse.

We are deeply concerned with the alarming dynamics and assessments presented in the report, which show a worrisome reversal in efforts to combat illicit drug cultivation and production in Afghanistan. Unprecedented levels of opium poppy cultivated and opium produced in Afghanistan amounting to 9000 tons that were recorded by the UNODC this year will soon be translated into thousands of tons of illicit heroin flooding the markets of other countries, including the Russian Federation.

Even more disturbing is the fact that the bulk of opium cultivation takes place in areas controlled by the Taliban with an expansion to the northern regions of the country. Insurgent groups are receiving tens of millions of dollars by taxing drug trafficking. This clearly shows the growing interlinkage between drug-trafficking and terrorist activities, which are being fueled by the drug money.

As a result Afghanistan is caught in a vicious circle of instability, violence, drug trafficking, corruption and terrorism, which pose a threat to peace and stability in the region and beyond.

Against such dramatic backdrop, it is clear that we cannot afford to see international community engagement with Afghanistan weaken.

The deteriorating drug and security situation in Afghanistan calls for streamlining international efforts within the Paris Pact initiative, which has become one of the most important frameworks in countering opiates originating in Afghanistan. Russia has always strongly supported this Initiative. We hope to see our partners, including the Afghan government, committed to the implementation of the four pillars of the Vienna declaration of 2012. Taking account of the recent trends in Afghanistan Paris Pact Initiative seems to have promising potential for bolstering a comprehensive international response not only to illicit drug production and trafficking in Afghanistan, but also to the growing link between illicit drugs and terrorist activities, including terrorism financing.

Regional and interregional partnerships are also indispensable in the fight against illicit drug cultivation and trafficking in Afghanistan. We welcome the efforts of Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Collective Security Treaty Organization as well as Central Asian Regional Information Communication Centre to step up regional counter-narcotics cooperation with Afghanistan.

Russia stands firmly committed to supporting our Afghan colleagues in combating the drug menace both bilaterally and in the framework of different multilateral fora. We will continue to provide technical assistance by improving through professional training the capacity of the Afghan counter-narcotics police to combat illicit drugs.

Once again we would like to reiterate that the complex problems in Afghanistan could be solved on the basis of broad, sincere cooperation in the spirit of common and shared responsibility. Only our collective efforts and strong political commitment from all stakeholders, including the Afghan government, will allow us to unravel the complex tangle of problems and overthrow the adverse trend.

Thank you for your attention.