In September, Afghanistan signed a long-term security agreement with the United States and NATO, authorizing that 9,800 US and at least 2,000 NATO troops be stationed in the country after the end of 2014.
"The drug production of heroin and hashish in Afghanistan peacefully coexists with the NATO coalition forces deployed there. They [NATO coalition officials] ignore it, officially stating that it is the Afghan government's problem," Viktor Ivanov said.
Russia, in its turn, is doing everything possible to prevent shipments of drugs from Afghanistan, Ivanov stressed. In particular, Russia's Federal Drug Control Service conducts joint operations with the Afghan government on identifying the laboratories producing heroin.
In addition to its vast mineral and gas reserves, Afghanistan produces more than 90 percent of the world's supply of drugs. The United Nations estimated that in 2014 Afghanistan produced 6,400 tons of drugs, which is 900 tons more than the total 2013 production.
