The head of the Department of Law and International Relations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Geldimyrat Haldurdyev, spoke about the measures taken by the Government of Turkmenistan to combat drug trafficking, as well as partnership with international organizations and joint actions at the national, regional and global levels in an interview with “Turkmenportal”.

- The priority of the policy pursued by the Government of Turkmenistan is to take care of the health of the nation, the physical and spiritual improvement of every citizen. To this end, the work of health authorities, education, and the mass media is being intensified to promote a healthy lifestyle, and to form a negative attitude of the country's population to the use of narcotic drugs. Turkmenistan continues to direct efforts to combat this terrible evil by carrying out appropriate preventive measures by the country's law enforcement agencies, improving the national legal framework, improving the professional level of training of law enforcement officers and their material and technical support, as well as developing interregional and international cooperation.

Thus, at all border customs posts with a large cargo and passenger flow, as well as at customs warehouses for temporary storage of goods, X-ray and television technical means for inspection and control of vehicles and luggage are installed. The customs authorities are provided with technical means of radiation control and office equipment. A large-scale operation is underway to identify the illegal cultivation of “Mac-2021” plants used for the production of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

I would like to note the positive role of our country in actively promoting international and regional cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking. In addition to participating in joint projects and programs implemented in the Central Asian region through the UN, the European Union, the OSCE and other international structures, Turkmenistan is a venue for major multilateral forums and meetings dedicated to anti-drug issues.

According to the existing agreement between the Government of Turkmenistan and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Turkmenistan plans to host the 55th session of the Sub-Commission on Drug Trafficking and Related Issues in the Near and Middle East in November 2021. Unfortunately, it did not take place in 2020 due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and was postponed.

I am confident that our joint coordinated actions, based on a broad vision of the scale of security problems, will comply with the proclaimed principles of peacefulness, mutual trust and striving to achieve global goals - peace, stability, sustainable development.