Fight against drug threat should be free from dual standards and political speculations - Russian Foreign Ministry
MOSCOW. Nov 30 (Interfax) - The fight against the drug threat should be rid of the practice of dual standards, deputy director of the Department for New Threats and Challenges of the Russian Foreign Ministry Alexei Rogov has said.
"We believe that the need for the joint struggle against the heroin threat should stand above any political speculations and also be rid of the practice of dual standards," he said at a briefing on Monday.
"It is generally recognized today that Afghan drugs pose a challenge to global and regional security and stability," he added.
He said that opium poppy plantations in Afghanistan have a total size of around 180,000 hectares. "The volume of opium production has reached volumes exceeding 3,000 tonnes," he said.
"It is important to note that nowadays drugs nourish terrorists and facilitate the commitment of their barbaric crimes. This is a challenge for the entire international community which one cannot hide from behind the perimeter of national borders no matter how strong and reliable they may seem," the diplomat said.
