OREANDA-NEWS. July 17, 2013. Volodymyr Tymoshenko, Chairman of the State Service of Ukraine for Drug Control analyzed state of cooperation of the State Service of Ukraine for Drug Control with Commission on Narcotic Drugs of United Nations, the Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), the Pompidou Group of the Council of Europe and other governmental and non-governmental organizations during a press conference on "International cooperation in the field of drug policy as a factor in European integration of Ukraine" held in UNIA "Ukrinform".

The subject of discussion was also issues related to the signing of intergovernmental agreements, involving experts of the State Service of Ukraine for Drug Control in international conferences, thematic sessions, coordination meetings. Thus, on February 6 this year in Vilnius, an Agreement on cooperation in the sphere of circulation control of psychoactive substances between the State Service of Ukraine for Drug Control and the Department for Drug, tobacco and alcohol Control of Lithuania was signed. Now we are preparing to sign similar agreements with the Federal Service of the Russian Federation for Drug Control and the Agency for Drug Control under the President of Tajikistan.

The issue of Ukraine's accession to the Council of Europe's Pompidou Group is considering. Overall, in the period from April 2011, including the first half of 2013, representatives the State Service of Ukraine for Drug Control participated in the 62 most important forums that were held at the international level in the field of drug control.

Analyzing such contacts, Volodymyr Tymoshenko, Chairman of the State Service of Ukraine for Drug Control, in particular, stressed that international cooperation for professionals of the State Service of Ukraine for Drug Control is very useful. Without such interaction it would be difficult to achieve tangible results in combating drug trafficking. "We are not accepting any document any decision, if there are no consultations with international authorities, with the domestic institutions of civil society, public Ukraine. So there is every reason to say - such cooperation is a key factor in the work of the State Service of Ukraine for Drug Control," Volodymyr Tymoshenko said.

Another member of the press conference, Regional Adviser of UNODC Mirzahid Sultanov welcomed Fruitful and mutually beneficial cooperation between the UN anti-drug organizations, particularly between management of UNODC and the State Service of Ukraine for Drug Control. In his view, one example is the participation of leading specialists and experts of the organization in drafting the strategy of drug policy in 2020. It absorbed the best current methods, the experience of many countries. Mirzahid Sultanov expressed confidence that soon the document will be approved by the Government of Ukraine, as the problem of drug addiction it's not just health issues, but also national security.