E. Ahamed

MOSCOW: India has called for sustained international efforts to break the nexus between narcotics production and terrorism in Afganistan by providing alternative sources of livelihood to opium growers.

"The destructive nexus confronts the international community once again," Minister of State of External Affairs E. Ahamed told an international conference on drug trafficking from Afghanistan here on Wednesday.

"We believe that rapid economic development (in Afghanistan) is the answer to the problems," he said stressing that drug money was being used to finance terrorism.

India has pledged to the country more than $650 million for a wide-ranging aid programme including in agriculture and irrigation, education, health, telecommunications, transport, civil aviation, industry and power generation.

Addressing the 55-nation conference, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned: "Afghanistan is still on the verge of becoming a drug state," which would wipe out all international efforts to promote democracy and normalisation there.

Opium production soared from 180 tonnes before the U.S. ousted the Taliban to 4,100 tonnes last year. It is projected to cross 5,000 tonnes this year.

"We cannot expect to curb drug cultivation unless we give alternative livelihood to Afghan farmers through rural development and the cultivation of cash crops," Mr. Ahamed told The Hindu after the conference.

Poor security

According to Indian estimates, 75 per cent of the opium growing areas are covered by anti-drug cultivation programmes, but poor security in many parts of Afghanistan is hampering the international effort.

It was announced at the conference that a Central Asian regional drugs information and coordination centre would be set up in the former Kazhakstan capital of Almaty by the year-end.

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