UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the opening of the Center and expressed hoped that new form of regional cooperation will become reliable barrier for drug flow from Afghanistan.

Ban Ki-moon underlined that illegal inflow of drugs from Central Asia threatens to security of the Central Asia. He said: “This illicit trade poses a threat to security by enriching and empowering criminal groups and anti-government forces. It undermines development by creating instability and widening corruption. And it poses a risk to health by spreading drug addiction and HIV.”

The message of the UN chief was delivered by Mr. Miroslav Jenca Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA).

In his message, Ban Ki-moon said illicit drug trade is transnational problem and it requires a regional solution. “That was the inspiration for the Memorandum of Understanding that has now resulted in the creation of the Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Centre,” he added.

UN Secretary-General expressed hope that close cooperation of five states of the region - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, - as well as Russia and Azerbaijan within the framework of new center will make important contribution to anti-narcotics efforts of international community.

This Centre will facilitate the exchange of intelligence to identify and disrupt trafficking networks, strengthen regional criminal justice capacity, and build security and confidence among neighbours.

“I thank the Government and people of Kazakhstan, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and all the parties to the Memorandum of Understanding for their role in making this Centre possible” the UN head said.

The activities of the Centre also offer an opportunity to strengthen partnership among organizations active in the region, including the United Nations, SCO, the OSCE, the EU, NATO, CSTO, CIS, ECO and others, he added.

“The UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia is another important part of this picture. Its establishment demonstrates the UN’s strong will to support peace, security and prosperity in the region. The Centre will continue providing political support to the work of the CARICC, and will do its part to address cross-border threats, including those associated with drug trafficking,” he noted.

“I encourage all states affected by Afghanistan’s opium to make the CARICC work and thereby cut the flow of drugs from Afghanistan. I look forward to working with all partners in fulfilling this shared responsibility”, Ban Ki-moon concluded.

According to UNODC estimates, 75 to 80 tons of heroin are trafficked annually from Afghanistan, producer of some 90 per cent of the world’s supply, to Russia via Central Asia, of which only around 5 per cent is seized in the region.