WASHINGTON, SEP 16 (PTI): US President Donald Trump on Wednesday identified India, China and Pakistan among 23 major drug transit and illicit drug producing countries and urged their respective leaders to address the issue.
In a Presidential Determination to the US Congress, Trump also made it clear that appearing on the list was not necessarily a reflection of the respective government’s current counterdrug efforts, or coordination with the United States.
It said countries are placed on the list due to a combination of geographic, commercial, and economic factors that allow drugs or precursor chemicals to transit or be produced, even if a government has engaged in robust and diligent narcotics control and law enforcement measures.
“I welcome Prime Minister Modi and the Government of India’s efforts to address illicit opium poppy cultivation and bolster supply chain integrity.
I look forward to continued cooperation through the United States-India Drug Policy Framework,” Trump said in the Presidential Determination that was made public on Wednesday.
The other major drug transit or major illicit drug producing countries identified are Afghanistan, The Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Burma, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.
