Russian, U.S. anti-drug police still cooperating though on smaller scale - official
MOSCOW. June 25 (Interfax) - The United States has curtailed its cooperation with Russia in combating drug trafficking as part of the fallout from the Ukraine crisis but has not scrapped it completely, said the head of Russia's Federal Drug Control Service.
"I wouldn't say there was complete severance," Viktor Ivanov told Rossiyskaya Gazeta in an interview a transcript of which is due to appear in Thursday's issue of the government daily.
"Our representative, Police Col. Oleg Vasilyev, still works in Washington. He meets with officials at the Drug Enforcement Administration and is in contact with officials in the administration of the U.S. president," Ivanov said.
"There are contacts in place. Of course, they're frozen somewhat. As far as I can understand, American specialists aren't very happy with that. But it isn't the police who've made that decision. It's politicians. We are open to dialogue with any country, including the U.S.," Ivanov said.
Ivanov is one of the Russians whom the United States has put under sanctions for their alleged role in Crimea's incorporation into Russia.
Anti-drug trafficking measures is one of the fields in which the United States has halted or reduced cooperation with Russia because of the Crimea issue.