This calls for the immediate use of a package of socio-economic and law enforcement measures in Afghanistan and outside it, said the Russian minister. "One of the key elements of this strategy is the strengthening of existing and the creation of new anti-drug security belts," Lavrov said.
Russia is making a substantial contribution to the efforts to solve the drug problem, including by elaborating practical political-legal and operational measures within the framework of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation and the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, Lavrov stressed.
According to him, Moscow is ready to co-ordinate its actions with the government of Afghanistan and the multinational and coalition forces in that country.
Russia is pondering the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, but other global threats to security and sustainable development of humankind deserve no less, if not more, attention of the UN. Poverty and illiteracy, "the breeding ground for extremism," are among such problems.
Lavrov said that Russia annually grants 1,000 stipends to students from Africa, has submitted a donation of $7.5 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS and provided humanitarian aid to several African countries. These are some of the practical steps towards reducing the gap between the poor and rich countries.
"Russia has been contributing [to the fulfilment of this task] and has written off $11.2 billion of African countries' debts from 1998 to 2002," said Sergei Lavrov.
