Ruling party official says significant actions needed to curb drug production in Azerbaijan's occupied lands

It is necessary to take significant action to curb the use of the occupied Azerbaijani territories for drug production, Deputy Chairman and Executive Secretary of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party Ali Ahmadov told media today.

As a result of recent operations conducted by the Azerbaijani Ministry of National Security, some 12 people involved in drug smuggling from Iran were revealed. Around 40.5 kilogrammes of narcotic substances were seized. It was found that some drugs withdrawn from trafficking were cultivated and harvested in the occupied Azerbaijani territories. Then, these drugs were delivered to Iran and from there to Azerbaijan.

He said Azerbaijani official circles and representatives of international organisations have repeatedly made well-founded statements about using the occupied Azerbaijani territories for drug production.

"This fact confirms previously made statements," he stressed.

The international organisations are concerned about this problem. It will inspire the organisations combating drug trafficking to deal with this issue more thoroughly, he said.

"This makes it even more necessary to liberate Azerbaijani lands and ensure Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, as well as suppress drug production in the occupied territories which can cause great harm to the health of people living in the region and the whole of mankind," he said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France and the U.S. are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the occupied territories.


/Trend/