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Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Answer

Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have taken place with the Governments of (a) Afghanistan and (b) Burma regarding (i) poppy cultivation and (ii) progress in controlling the cultivation of poppies since the removal of the Taliban. [189888] Mr. Rammell: As lead nation on counter narcotics in Afghanistan since April 2002, the UK has had regular discussions and works closely with the Afghan Government to support delivery of the Afghan National Drug Control Strategy, which was adopted in May 2003. I have visited Afghanistan for discussions with President Karzai and his Ministers about progress on the strategy. The UK has allocated £70 million over three years to support this work. As a result of those contacts, in the first year of implementation of the strategy the basic counter narcotics structures have been put in place: drug control legislation, a Counter Narcotics Directorate, the Ministry of Interior's Afghan Special Narcotics Force, the Counter Narcotics Police and a central eradication capability. Work is also in hand to develop alternative livelihoods for farmers dependent on opium poppy cultivation. The measures we have put in place provide a sound basis for future cooperation with the Afghan Government and international partners to secure the further development of robust institutions and programmes to combat opium production and trafficking. Progress remains linked to the wider security situation in Afghanistan and to the implementation of other areas of institution building such as policing and judicial systems. Burmese opiates are not trafficked to the UK in significant quantities. Most stays within the Asia/Pacific region. Our Ambassador in Rangoon discussed the reduction of poppy cultivation and other drugs issues with Burmese Ministers during a visit to Northern Shan State in January 2004.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

425 c308-9W; 189888

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Crime prevention Crops International assistance Myanmar Afghanistan Opium

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk