BISHKEK, August 16 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's president proposed to Asian leaders Thursday setting up financial security belts around Afghanistan to counter money laundering, and holding a special security conference on the country.
Vladimir Putin is currently on a visit to Kyrgyzstan, which hosted Thursday a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which comprises Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, and has Iran, India, Pakistan and Mongolia as observers.
"It is essential to continue forming anti-drug security belts around Afghanistan, which could be complemented with financial security belts supervised by SCO financial monitors," Putin said. "This will improve the effectiveness of measures to counter both drug trafficking and money laundering."
He said that since all SCO member states were interested in ensuring stability in Afghanistan, a special conference should be held to discuss means of helping the volatile country. He proposed that SCO countries' foreign ministers make corresponding preparations.
According to the World Drug Report, Afghanistan accounts for more than 90% of the world's illegal opium production, which is used to produce heroin. The country's president, Hamid Karzai, who is attending the summit as a guest, called on the organization to prioritize measures against drug-trafficking, a major financial source of terrorism.
"We understand well enough the negative effect of the drugs problem on all countries in the region... It is necessary to work out a specific regional plan to fight the problem," Karzai said.
He said his country, where attacks on security forces by Taliban insurgents have escalated in recent months, was ready to step up cooperation in countering narcotics and terrorism.
