During a recent visit to Moscow, Mr Danet met with senior Russian customs officials to discuss the possibility of turning Russia's borders into the first protective barrier in the way to Europe-bound Afghan drugs. This is the idea behind the new joint project, which will be soon presented to the European Union and the rest of the world community.
The World Customs Organization Secretariat will recommend to the WCO board to ratify the draft at its next session, to be held in Brussels in June, with customs officials from 162 countries expected in attendance, Mr Danet said.
The WCO proposes that the Russian border be made the first outpost to block Afghan drugs' passage into Europe. If this proposal is approved, the organization will launch joint operations with Moscow and Kazakhstan and try to find out before the year's end whether it has enough human and financial potential to implement the project, the WCO chief said.
"I have no problems with Moscow in terms of advancing this project," the Mr Danet said. He is now going to Kazashtan to look at Russia's southern borders from the outside and meet with local authorities to discuss the possibility of Kazakh involvement in the project.
According to the WCO Secretary General, the project is aimed at improving protection of the European community against the inflow of narcotics from Central Asia and to make it harder for terrorist and criminal organizations to trade in narcotic substances.
