Press Release
AKT Ministers Agree Biennial Roadmap for 2016-2017
UNODC Regional Programme for Afghanistan and Neighbouring Countries
30 May, Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyz Republic
Ministers / Heads of Drugs Agencies of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Kyrgyz Republic and the Republic of Tajikistan met at Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyz Republic under the auspices of the Afghanistan-Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan (AKT) Initiative to discuss issues related to cooperation in Counter Narcotics and Border Management in Drug Control.
Supported by UNODC's Regional Programme for Afghanistan and Neighbouring Countries, the AKT Initiative is aimed at strengthening cross-border cooperation in law enforcement and legal matters between Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan at the starting point of the Northern Route for trafficking of narcotics from Afghanistan.
The Ministerial Declaration signed by H.E. Ms. Salamat Azimi, Minister for Counter Narcotics, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, H.E. Mr. Rafik Mambetaliev, Head of the State Service on Drug Control, Kyrgyz Republic, H.E. Mr. Khaidarzoda Murtazo, Deputy Head of the Drug Control Agency of the Republic of Tajikistan the Kyrgyz Republic, and H.E. Mr. Aldo Lale-Demoz, Deputy Executive Director of UNODC amongst others, renewed and agreed on:
- Commitment to strengthening cooperation under the AKT Initiative;
- Emphasis on the importance of institutional capacity building in counter narcotics and the exchange of information, and sharing of best practice;
- Emphasis on the need for provision of advanced training courses for relevant law enforcement agencies to better respond to the emerging challenges
- The need for enhancing cooperation under UNODC's Regional Programme for Afghanistan and Neighbouring Countries including on issues related to strengthening regional law enforcement and judicial cooperation as well as closer cooperation in forensics;
- The need for strengthened regional cooperation in criminal matters including through providing Mutual Legal Assistance in drug related crimes / cases;
- The call supporting the enhancement of the activities of the Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Centre (CARICC) inter alia by sharing drug related operational information and conducting effective, information-led coordinated operations;
- Drafting a Memorandum of Understanding under the AKT Initiative to provide a basis for operational cooperation and sharing of information on operations and investigations; and
- Conducting future drug control, simultaneous / joint operations between Afghanistan-Tajikistan and Tajikistan-Kyrgyz Republic by sharing drug related intelligence and information, and conducting coordinated and effective drug related intelligence operations.
The Ministerial meeting also resulted in approval of the biennial roadmap for 2016-2017 and agreement to hold the Fifth Tripartite AKT Ministerial Meeting in May/June 2017 in Kabul.
We are thankful to members of the international community including the European Union, Finland, Japan, Sweden, Italy, Norway, France, Canada, Germany, Russia, Denmark, the U.K., and U.S.A. for their continued support to UNODC's Regional Programme for Afghanistan and Neighbourng Countries.