Joint Action Plan signed for countering threat posed by narcotics

     Moscow/New Delhi. The Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Moscow, Russia yesterday on a three day visit there. 

    He was received by Mr. Igor Zubov, State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation at Vnukovo International Airport, Moscow. Rajnath Singh met Mr. Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Minister for Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, today during which the Ministers emphasized the strength of the relationship between India and Russia that has been consolidated in the past 70 years in all areas.

   The Ministers underlined that cooperation in the field of security is an important aspect of this bilateral relationship further strengthen cooperation to combat terrorism, extremism and radicalism. They agreed that terrorism must be fought unitedly and there were no good or bad terrorists.They also agreed to cooperate in combating new challenges, enhance exchange of information, cooperate in building a data base, and in training of police and investigative agencies. 

     Both sides agreed to hold the next Joint Working Group to counter terrorism between India and Russia in 2018. An updated and more comprehensive agreement on Cooperation on Security between Ministry of Home Affairs of India and the Ministry of Interior of the Russian Federation was signed by the two Ministers. 

  This agreement provides a comprehensive approach for cooperation in security related issues, including Information Technology Crimes, Counterfeiting currency, Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, Trafficking in Human Beings, Economic Crimes, Crimes related to Intellectual Property, Cultural Property amongst others.A Joint Action Plan between the Narcotics Control Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs of India and the Ministry of Interior of the Russian Federation for the period 2018-20 was also signed by Pankaj Saran, Ambassador of India to the Russian Federation and Mr. Igor Zubov, State Secretary and Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Interior of the Russian Federation on this occasion. 

       During his visit Rajnath Singh will also hold meetings with Mr Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary, Security Council of the Russian Federation, Mr. Vladimir Puchkov, Minister of Civil Defence, Emergency Situations and Disaster Relief of the Russian Federation and Mr. Alexander Bortnikov, Director, Federal Security Service of Russia. He will also pay a visit to the National Crisis Management Centre (EMERCOM) under Russia’s Ministry of Situations.