CADAP runs the next series of Technical Committees meetings to review the progress of ongoing activities, obtain feedback from national partners and discuss future plans and priorities. Meetings have been conducted in Tashkent on January 14, Dushanbe – January 17, Bishkek – January 23 with involvement of main partners and stakeholders – EU Delegations, national beneficiaries, partner international organizations.
Mr. Shukhrat Gulomov, Head of Department, National Center under the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, stated: “A lot has been achieved within the framework of the European Union programme CADAP 7. We see this programme as a key platform for fostering international cooperation and strengthening national capacities in drug demand reduction. We hope for continued collaboration with the European Union to further build on the progress made and to address emerging priorities in the field of drug.”
As it was mentioned by Mr Mr. Mahmadullo Abdurahmoni 3-d Secretary of the Border and Territorial Settlement Issues Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan, the problem of drug proliferation and drug addiction is one of the most serious challenges for modern society, and it is especially relevant for Tajikistan. “The Government of Tajikistan, following the national Strategy on Drugs, is making significant efforts to combat this phenomenon. It should be noted that the solution of these issues is impossible without the support and co-operation of the international community. I would like to highlight the initiative of the President of Tajikistan to establish the SCO Anti-Drug Centre in Dushanbe, which is an important step in our common cause. In this context, the implementation of the Drug Prevention Programme in Central Asia over the past twenty years is a successful example of fruitful cooperation between the Republic of Tajikistan and the European Union”- he said .
Special session was dedicated to CADAP 8 – Overview of the next phase’s priorities and expected outcomes, outputs and indicative needs has been done with special emphasis on countrie specific needs and national priorities Mr. Cosimo Lamberti, Programme Manager from the EU Delegation to Kyrgyz Republic, announced the new phase of the project that was officially approved by EC headquarters and Member States in December 2024.
“From the Administration’s perspective, we have seen significant improvements both in terms of financial resources and in expanding our impact. For example, the amount of financial funding has increased significantly – we are now talking about 18 million euros, which is significantly higher than the previous allocation of 7 million euros. This gives us the opportunity to expand our actions to a much wider range of issues and territories. However, it also means that there is a lot of work to be done to adjust our priorities. We will not only work in our traditional areas such as health and prevention, but we will also pay special attention to law enforcement. This is an important part of the work, especially in light of the new challenges posed by the increasing flow of drugs, such as methamphetamine, from Central Asia to Europe. We recognise that these new threats require flexibility and quick action to respond to changing conditions in a timely manner.” – he said .
