MOSCOW. Oct 23 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia should have its own special representative in Afghanistan to monitor the situation in the country and promptly report any problems to Moscow, Russian Federal Drug Control Service chief Viktor Ivanov said at the Military Academy of the General Staff on Friday.
"Russia should deploy its representative in that region, who would promptly report any problems to the top leadership," Ivanov said.
The problems emanating from Afghanistan directly affect Russia's interests, Ivanov said. "Twenty-seven countries have their special representatives there. We should not overlook this issue, either," he said.
Since the moment the coalition forces entered Afghanistan, the production of opiates in that country has grown 44 times, Ivanov said. "The Helmand province alone produces 60% of all opiates in the world," he said.
"Organized crime gets up to $100 million in revenues annually from sales of Afghan drugs," Ivanov said.
"Only $70 million from this sum goes to the Taliban, against which the U.S. is saying it is fighting," he said.
"The Taliban does not threaten us," Ivanov said. The Taliban is a religious component in Afghan society, which consolidates various forces in combating invasion from abroad, he said.