Tajikistan Elected Member of UNODC
DUSHANBE
(RIA Novosti) — Tajikistan has been elected a member of the UN
Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Tajik Foreign
Ministry officials told RIA Novosti, Tajikistan received the overwhelming
majority of votes – 46 out of 54 – as a result of a secret ballot
conducted on April 29, 2005 during a plenary meeting of the UN
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
"It is
the first successful nomination of Tajikistan as a member of a
UN official body since its accession to this prestigious international
organization and this success on the global arena has great and
long-lasting significance for the country," the Tajik foreign
ministry officials stressed.
They believe
Tajikistan will expand its involvement in various global issues
and improve its international status as a result of becoming an
UNODC member.
South Korea,
Saudi Arabia and Japan have also been elected UNODC members.
The major
part of 1,300-km border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan passes
through difficult-to-access regions, which are hard to protect.
It is a main conduit of drugs to Central Asia, Russia and Western
Europe.