AKIPRESS.COM - The Government of Japan and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) signed a $6.8 million grant agreement on Feb. 27 to support UNODC initiatives to counter illicit drug trafficking and transnational organized crime through enhanced regional cooperation by strengthening the capacity of Border Liaison Offices in Central Asia and Interagency Mobile Teams (IMTs) in Uzbekistan.

The exchange notes were signed by Ambassador of Japan to Uzbekistan Yoshinori Fujiyama and UNODC Regional Representative for Central Asia Ashita Mittal.

"Though this project, we would like to see greater cross-border cooperation and coordination among the countries in Central Asia to jointly address the challenges of drug trafficking through enhanced border management. This is also expected to lead to increase in seizure of drugs and decrease in related cross-border organized crimes," Ambassador Yoshinori Fujiyama said.

"These new IMT (Interagency Mobile Teams) and BLO (Border Liaison Offices) initiatives are the outcome of successful cooperation between UNODC and law enforcement agencies in Central Asia, particularly in Uzbekistan. Technical assistance under these initiatives will focus on preparation of regulatory framework, provision of specialized equipment, as well as capacity building of law enforcement agencies through delivery of training courses, practical workshops and organization of joint interagency anti-drug operations," Olim Narzullaev, Director of Drug Control Information Center under the Prime MInister's Office of Uzbekistan, said.

Over $4.5 million will be directed for reinforcement of international border crossing points in Central Asia through setting up new Border Liaison Offices, enhancement of analytical capacity of border agencies, establishment of Situation Centre in Uzbekistan and strengthening those in place in other countries, Yusuf Kurbonov, UNODC International Programme Coordinator, said.

$2.3 million will be allocated to implement an Uzbekistan-UNODC joint initiative on establishing Interagency Mobile Teams. The new IMT project will focus on further strengthening of counter-narcotics capacities of the law enforcement agencies of Uzbekistan. New offices will be set up in Andijan, Bukhara, Jizzakh, Karshi, Namangan, Navoi, Urgench, and existing six IMTs in Tashkent, Samarkand, Nukus, Termez, Fergana and Syrdarya will be strengthened. They will be networked and coordinated through the Operations Coordination Team.