OFFICIAL NEWS
TO PARTICIPANTS OF THE FIFTH MEETING OF MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON SUB-REGIONAL DRUG CONTROL COOPERATION
Greeting the participants of the Fifth Meeting of Memorandum of Understanding on sub-regional drug control cooperation, I am expressing my hope that this meeting in Baku will become an important stage in combat against illegal drug trafficking.
The present-day stage of development is characterized by globalization of the illegal drug turnover. Thus, the widespread economic integration and processes of widening of trade and transport links are accompanied by dissemination of narcotic substances produced in a number of regions in other countries. This, in its turn, has a negative impact on social and economic development of each country, poses a serious threat to the people’s lives and health, and causes increase in crime and violence, and huge damages to moral values of the humanity.
The danger of the illegal turnover of the narcotic substances for the humankind is conditioned the necessity for application of appropriate control both on national and international level. However, still continuing conflicts in a number of regions of the world have resulted in establishment of occupation regimes involved in cultivation of narcotic plants on the territories, which are beyond the reach of authorities or international organizations’ control, illicit drug turnover and creation of other sources of crime, and billions from this activity are spent towards funding international terrorism.
Roughly violating principles and norms of the international law, democratic values and human rights, the occupation regimes pose a real threat to not only their own population, but also to the international peace and tranquility. And the terrorist regime established in Nagorno-Garabakh region of our country as a result of the Azerbaijani lands’ occupation by Armenia is a graphic evidence of this.
Supporting all efforts of the international community, the Azerbaijan Republic considering the combat against illegal turnover of narcotic substances as its statewide mission, has joined the related conventions of the United Nations Organization, and created normative legal base meeting international standards.
Within this struggle, along with penal measures, necessary actions have been taken about further strengthening sound social basis in our society. We will continue our resolute and hard-edged struggle with narcotics.
I am confident that the Fifth Meeting of Memorandum of Understanding on sub-regional drug control cooperation will make its valuable contribution the combat against drug addiction and illegal drug turnover demonstrating once again the will of the international community, and consolidate our efforts.
I wish you every success in realization of your objectives and solving tasks aimed at development of mutual relations between our countries.
Ilham Aliyev
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan
The city of Baku, December 2, 2003