Iran-Armenia Sign MOU On Campaign Against Narcotics

Yerevan, May 2, IRNA – Prosecutor General Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ezheˈie said here Wednesday that Iran and Armenia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for cooperation in campaign against narcotic drugs trafficking. The Armenian Prosecutor Generalˈs Media Office further quoted Hojjatoleslam Ezheˈie as saying at a press conference Wednesday, ˈThe signing of this legal-judiciary MOU between Iran and Armenia would effectively assist the two countries in their campaign against narcotic drugs trafficking.ˈ Pointing out that Iran takes advantage of a huge aount of advanced facilities in its campaign against narcotic drugs trafficking from Afghanistan, he reiterated, ˈOver 40% of the prisoners in Iran are convicted of drug trafficking crimes.ˈ Armenian Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepyan, too, said at the joint press conference that his country has been incessantly fighting against narcotic drugs trafficking during the recent years and huge crimes were discovered in this field during these years. He noted that the major part of the narcotic drugs confiscated in Armenia enter the Armenian soil thru Iran, reiterating, ˈArmenia would never permit the traffickers to turn its soil into a transit route for their illegal trade.ˈ The narcotic drugs campaign cooperation MOU between Iran and Armenia was signed on Tuesday. The two countries prosecutor generals, Gholam-hossein Mohseni-Ezheˈie and Aghvan Hovsepyan signed the document. The interlocutors attached importance to the provision of assistance to each other in the fields of fighting cross-border crimes, protection of the rights and freedoms of the citizens and legal entities. “The volume of drug trafficking has increased in the region, and it’s necessary to launch effective measure to fight against it,” Iran’s Prosecutor General said. Aghvan Hovsepyan, for his part, said that it’s necessary to launch productive cooperation in the legal field parallel to the deepening of economic ties and boosting of tourism. Iran prosecutor General Gholam-hossein Mohseni-Ezheˈie is in Yerevan on an invitation extended to him by his Armenian counterpart Aghvan Hovsepyan./end