The world's eight most powerful industrialized nations could join forces with Afghanistan, Pakistan and the two countries' neighbours to fight against smuggling, especially of drugs, dpa quoted internal G8 documents as saying. On Friday, G8 foreign ministers met with top diplomats from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and China for two days of talks on the troubled region. Those talks are set to call for "the enhancement of controls to stem drug trafficking and smuggling of illicit goods while facilitating licit trade," according to a draft statement prepared for the meeting. Participants, including G8 members, "agree to open consultations about future coordination on these issues," as well as on legal and judicial cooperation and strengthened measures against money laundering, the draft says. The statement also calls for the establishment of an international intelligence network to block the import of drug precursors into Afghanistan. In recent years, world powers have expressed alarm at the massive rise in Afghanistan's opium exports, which are blamed for fuelling drug consumption across the region and for funding the Taliban-led insurgency in Afghanistan and Pakistan. To woo Afghanistan's farmers off the lucrative crop, the G8 draft statement also calls for a concerted programme to boost legitimate trade and agriculture in the region. "The participants ... call for expanded agricultural cooperation that could lead to rural development, food security, employment growth, higher income levels, alternatives to poppy cultivation, and ultimately lower tensions in the region," the draft says. The draft also calls for stronger links between the populations of Afghanistan and its neighbours. It targets broader education, stronger media, more cultural and scientific cooperation, and "full access of individuals to trade and enterprise." The G8 is made up of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States. Italy currently holds its presidency. G8 foreign ministers are expected to approve the draft statement on Saturday.
