MOSCOW. April 26 (Interfax) - Russia has sent a letter to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on behalf of 22 countries expressing support for the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs and the existing international system of drug control, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
"Acting on behalf of a group of like-minded countries, the Russian Federation has sent a collective letter to UN Secretary General Guterres voicing support for the current international system of drug control and the key role of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs in global drug policy," the ministry said.
"This initiative is aimed at neutralizing attempts by a number of states to shift the center of decision-making on drug-related problems to formats that are more convenient to them, formats that are customized to promote narcoliberal ideas," it said.
According to the letter, the UN commission is successfully fulfilling its mission and taking account of contributions of relevant UN agencies and institutions in its work, the ministry said.
"The establishment of any new drug control structures that would duplicate its activities is recognized as counterproductive and unjustified, given the limited financial resources in the UN system," the ministry said.
The other countries on whose behalf the letter was sent are Algeria, Armenia, Belarus, Vietnam, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Cuba, Laos, Malaysia, Namibia, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Peru, Singapore, Tajikistan, the Philippines, and South Africa.