All countries should wage joint struggle with narcothreat - Medvedev.

18/8 Tass 275

SOCHI, August 18 (Itar-Tass) -- All countries rather than separate
countries should wage joint struggle against the drug threat, Russian
President Dmitry Medvedev said on Wednesday, opening a quadripartite
meeting with the presidents of Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Pakistan.
The Russian leader offered to his counterparts to discuss in detail
the current drug threat. "The response to it (the drug threat) should be
joint rather than isolated," Medvedev said, noting, "neither Afghanistan,
nor Russia, nor any other country will settle it alone." "This is a common
problem, and we should act together," he said.
Alongside, Medvedev considers it necessary to discuss the joint
counteraction to terrorism and extremism. "We value highly your efforts
(in the struggle against terrorism), but several conceptual and practical
issues exist," the Russian president said.
He emphasized that the current meeting was held in this format for the
second time. "This is very good, this is a normal, working regional
format, and the more consultations we have the better it is," Medvedev
pointed out.
Medvedev also offered to discuss regional problems and stronger
economic cooperation.
The Russian leader proposed to discuss the struggle against terrorism,
extremism, the drug threat, current difficulties with state construction
in Afghanistan, as well as the counteraction to natural disasters. He
expressed one more time condolences to the Pakistani president over a
major flood that had claimed many lives and entailed enormous damages.
"The international community should have a consolidated position" on the
assistance to Pakistan, Medvedev said. "This was reflected in a joint
draft statement. I would like to make my contribution in the restoration
of the normal life in Pakistan," the Russian president added.
"At the meeting we will discuss all regional problems, including
domestic ones," Medvedev said, noting, it is primarily the domestic
political situation in Afghanistan, the development of 'the Kabul
process', which envisages the transfer to the Afghan authorities all
responsibility for the situation in the country and the international
assistance to Afghanistan.
Alongside, Medvedev put the counteraction to the drug threat,
extremism and terrorism as an item on the agenda of the current meeting.
The presidents also discussed economic cooperation. Medvedev
emphasized that modern projects had been developed in recent years and
some of them were developed long ago in the Soviet times. "It makes sense
to get back to them," he said, elaborating that he refers to the projects
in the energy sector and social development.
The Russian leader again congratulated his Pakistani counterpart on
Independence Day of the country, and his Afghan counterpart on a
forthcoming similar national holiday. "I wish to you personal success and
to the peoples - to overcome the difficulties," Medvedev said.
Along with the leaders of the four countries Russian Foreign Minister
Sergei Lavrov, Russian presidential aide Sergei Prikhodko, director of the
Second Asian department of the Russian Foreign Ministry Zamir Kabulov and
his deputy Alexei Dedov are participating in the meeting. Foreign Minister
Hamrokhon Zarifi, State Adviser on Foreign Policy to the President, Erkin
Rakhmatullaev represent Tajikistan. Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul,
presidential adviser for national security Rangin Dadfar Spanta, Afghan
charge d'affaires ad interim in Russia Hafizullah Ebadi represent
Afghanistan. Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, First Deputy Foreign
Minister Salman Bashir, Deputy Foreign Minister Muhammad Haroon Shaukat,
Pakistani Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador in Russia Mohammad
Khalid Khattak represent Pakistan.
-0-baz/kud