GEORGIA, ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN DISCUSS ANTI-DRUG PROGRAM IN TBILISI

Today.Az
/50539.html
Feb 6 2009
Azerbaijan

The session of the steering committee of the South Caucasus Anti-Drug
program, attended by representatives of the governments of the three
countries of the region, was held in Tbilisi Friday.

The meeting participants discussed results of the anti-drug program
from 2007 and the plans for 2009.

The program is implemented under financial support of the European
Union and in the indirect participation of the UN Development Program.

The program was launched five years ago. The fifth stage of the
program, estimated at over EUR 2 mln, started in 2007 and will last
for three years.

"The drug problem is a transnational problem and it equally concerns
all the three South Caucasus states. In this connection it is
very important to cooperate to reduce spread of drugs and their
consumption", ambassador Pair Eklund, head of the representative
office of the European commission in Georgia told reporters.

In turn, UNDP permanent representative Robert Watkins noted that the
main goal of the program is assistance to cooperation between the
South Caucasus country in combat with drugs.

The program consists of several components, in particular, assistance
to cooperation between the South Caucasus countries in combat with
drugs.

The program including several components, in particular, assistance to
cooperation between governments to attain harmonization of legislation
with the EU laws. Moreover, it implies broadened capabilities to treat
drug addicts and introduce a special course about harm of drugs to
the school curriculum.

"Significant progress has been attained through several years of the
program. Cooperation has strengthened and harmonization of the law
has occurred at a definite stage, while the number of treated and
the quality of treatment grew up. Moreover, this issue has started
to be discussed at schools", noted Watkins.

Seminars for judges and prosecutors, trainings for representatives
of the law enforcement bodies, schoolchildren and mass media
representatives are planned in the framework of the anti-drug program
in 2009. At the same time, the program ensures technical assistance
to the centers of detoxification and laboratories of the judicial
expertise.