SENIOR RUSSIAN OFFICIALS ON MONDAY CALLED ON OTHER COUNTRIES TO STEP UP EFFORTS TO COMBAT DRUG SMUGGLING FROM AFGHANISTAN, CALLING IT ONE OF WORLD'S GREATEST DRUG THREATS, REPORTED REUTERS. SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF AN INTERNATIONAL ANTI-DRUG CONFERENCE THAT RUSSIA HOSTED ON GLOBAL DRUG AWARENESS DAY, FEDERAL DRUG CONTROL SERVICE CHIEF VIKTOR CHERKESOV SAID COMBATING AFGHAN DRUG TRAFFICKING WAS A LONG-TERM PRIORITY FOR HIS COUNTRY. «ONE SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THAT DESPITE MEASURES THAT ARE BEING TAKEN, THE FLOW OF DRUGS FROM THE AFGHAN TERRITORY IS GROWING AND REMAINS ONE OF THE WORLD'S MAJOR DRUG THREATS,» CHERKESOV SAID ON NTV TELEVISION. ANATOLY SAFONOV, A TOP ANTI-TERRORISM ENVOY TO PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN, EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT RUSSIA WAS BECOMING A MAJOR TRANSIT ROUTE FOR AFGHAN DRUGS. «WE AND OUR PARTNERS FROM CENTRAL ASIA ARE AFRAID THAT THE 'NORTHERN ROUTE' (RUSSIA) WOULD BECOME THE MAIN DRUG ROUTE,» SAFONOV WAS QUOTED AS SAYING BY THE RIA-NOVOSTI NEWS AGENCY.
