Albania joins efforts with Russia in anti-drug fight

TIRANA, Aug 28 – Head of Russia’s Federal Drug Control Service Viktor Ivanov was last week in Albania to discuss joint efforts in preventing drug trafficking to Europe via the Balkan route.
The two sides signed an agreement to coordinate their efforts in combating the illicit drug trade. The deal was signed by Ivanov and Albanian Interior Minister Bujar Nishani.
The minister said that the agreement was part of the similar deals with countries in the region and the European Union.
He mentioned that in the last three years these countries have held 31 joint operations in the fight against drug traffic.
It is believed that Albania’s mafia controls a large part of the heroin supplies coming into Western Europe and the US.
Ivanov expressed his government’s commitment to apply this agreement and said cooperation between the two countries would strengthen for the legal context, exchange of experiences, joint trainings and so on.
Ivanov, who also visited Belgrade and Skopje, said that a Balkan Quintet could be organized by the end of this year to help fight drug trafficking.