A meeting of experts from the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Georgia, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, the Republic of Uzbekistan was held on 29-30 January 2020 at the initiative of the Drugs Research Section of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime headquarters in Vienna. The meeting was attended by independent scientific experts, a representative of CARICC and UNODC employees.

The expert meeting discussed current drug situation and recent trends in opiate traffic along the so-called “Northern Route”.

In addition, an issue of increasing trafficking in synthetic drugs and new psychoactive substances in CARICC Member States was also raised.

Outcome of the expert meeting will serve as a basis for further monitoring of the situation and research work on trafficking in opiates along the “Northern Route” from Afghanistan through Central Asia to the Russian Federation.