“It is only possible to effectively counter the threat of drugs by consolidating multilateral efforts and establishing broad international cooperation,” Ermekbaev said during a meeting with the Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Bo Mathiasen.

Ermekbaev noted that the SCO is actively fighting in this area, which includes a three-tiered cooperation mechanism among anti-drug agencies, as well as conducting annual joint activities with the UN.

He also indicated that the process of establishing an SCO Anti-Drug Center in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, envisioned as a permanent specialized body, is ongoing.

For his part, Mathiasen expressed his interest in further developing cooperation with the SCO Secretariat in the fight against drug trafficking and warned of the increase in crimes linked to the use of the internet, the darknet, encrypted communication platforms, and cryptocurrencies for illegal drug trafficking.

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