UN to Help Belarus Fight Drug Trafficking

The UN has included Belarus in a list of countries which are to receive wider help in tackling the illegal drug trade. According to the Belarussian Foreign Ministry, this was announced by the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs after a ministerial meeting held in Vienna on April 16-17.

The meeting was attended by Belarussian Interior Minister Vladimir Naumov, who gave an analysis of the work of the country's anti-drug-trafficking authorities. He also drew attention to the significance of Belarussian efforts to prevent the supply of illegal substances to Western Europe. In addition, he highlighted the discrepancy between Belarussian expenditure on tackling drug trafficking within its borders and the scale of international support.

The UN statement also refers to the implementation of major international programmes to tackle the spread of Aids among drug users, which, according to the foreign ministry, is very important for Belarus.