Azerbaijan, Baku, September 29 / Trend D. Khatinoglu /
The Afghan Ministry of Counter Narcotics welcomes U.S. new strategy to solve the problem concerning growing and distribution of drugs in Afghanistan, press-secretary of the ministry told Trend .
The United States announced about a new strategy to restore stability in Afghanistan. It envisages the fight against drugs. Despite there is no complete information about a new strategy, it is known that it includes plans concerning military operations and increase of people's welfare, development of agriculture and farming.
Currently, the United States and Great Britain support Afghanistan to combat with drugs, spokesperson of Afghani Counter-Narcotics Ministry, Zalmay Afzali, said over phone from Kabul on September 29.
"There is no concrete information about a new strategy. Discussion of new plans between official Washington, London and Kabul continues," Afzali said.
He said that last week Great Britain and the United States agreed to allocate additional funds worth $ 39 million for Afghanistan to combat with drugs.
90 percent of heroin produced in the world falls on Afghanistan. Drugs are smuggled from Afghanistan to other countries.
According to the report, spread by the UN Combat Narcotics Office on September 2, official Kabul has achieved certain success in combat with drugs. "Sixty percent of poppy produced in Afghanistan is grown in Helmand province. About 103,590 hectares were planted with poppy in this province in 2008. This figure hits 69,833 hectares in 2009," the report said.
Afzali said that the area planted with poppies has decreased by 22 percent in 2009 and production - 10 percent. He said that attempts to seed this plant were completely prevented in 20 provinces.
The international mafia is interested in international drug trafficking. Official Kabul extended struggle against it due to support of the United States and Great Britain, press-secretary of the ministry said. He said that several biggest criminal gangs have been deactivated recently.