Amir Abbas Lotfi, Iran’s Director General of the International Relations Office of the Drug Control Headquarters, stated that transformation of Afghanistan into a major producer of “methamphetamine" must be taken seriously.
Lotfi added that Afghanistan’s recreational drugs harm countries in the region and world.
On Monday, ISNA news agency reported that Lotfi, who is traveling to Austria for the 67th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, has said that Iran is concerned about Afghanistan's status as a major producer of methamphetamine, and the United Nations has also expressed concern about the increase in production, consumption, and trafficking of narcotics in Afghanistan.
According to the report, during a meeting with a Dutch official from the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport, he stated that Iran has achieved the highest international standards in reducing demand for drugs and empowering vulnerable women and girls to combat addiction and substance abuse.
On the sidelines of this meeting, Lotfi met with Norway’s Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Health. He highlighted Iran's geographical proximity to Afghanistan, the world's largest producer of narcotics, and stated, "While we appreciate the reduction of drug cultivation in Afghanistan, the trafficking of narcotics from the region has not seen a significant decrease."
As per the report, the Norwegian official also said that the claim of drug production reaching zero in Afghanistan is unbelievable. He emphasised that even if it were true, given the unstable conditions in Afghanistan, there's no assurance that the decision to resume production wouldn't be made tomorrow, in a few months, or even years down the line, potentially leading the country back into drug production.
He added that Norway, as a European nation, should pursue technical and specialised cooperation with Iran in the realm of combating narcotics and should engage in cooperation with Iran regardless of political considerations.
This statement comes in the wake of Eskandar Momeni, the secretary general of the Iranian anti-narcotics headquarters, recently highlighting the rising production of recreational drugs and methamphetamine in Afghanistan. Momeni characterised Iran as one of the victims of the surge in drug production in Afghanistan.
