KABUL -- Iran and Afghanistan agreed Monday to work together on a project to replace the opium poppy with other legal crops in the world's largest opiate producer.

Director General of the International Economic Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Agricultural Jihad Hossein Fazlollahi in a meeting with Deputy Head of the High Commission for Anti-drug Fairs of Afghanistan Abdolrazaq Asmar stressed the need to jointly implement the watershed crop substitution project.

He voiced Iran's readiness to cooperation with Afghanistan in the campaign against the illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and to help create a drug-free Afghanistan. He added, "Iran is ready to help Afghanistan in projects on fish farming, reconstruction of infrastructures and training of the Afghan farmers on how best they can improve their yield."

Asmar thanked Iran for its assistance in the fighting against the illicit drugs.

He stressed the need for implementing projects to curb the illicit production and supply of the narcotic drugs in Afghanistan.

Iranian officials drew up last year broad lines of a watershed project to encourage the Afghan farmers to cultivate food crops in their farmlands instead of the illicit opium poppy.

The crop substitution project conducted in Helmand has come to a halt due to the developments taking shape in Afghanistan but Iran is encouraging now the international community to participate in efforts to continue the crop substitution project in the war-shattered Afghanistan or create positive incentives for Afghan farmers to Cultivate food crops instead of opium poppy.

Iran sits on the crossroads of the international drug trade which originates from sources in Afghanistan and Pakistan to markets in central Asia, Europe and Persian Gulf littoral states.

The country accounts for 80 percent of the opium and 90 percent of the morphine intercepted in the world, according to the International Narcotics Control Board.

The country's police have seized 112 tons of illegal drugs originated mostly from Afghanistan and arrested 306,000 people on drug-related charges in the last Iranian year, which ended March 20, 2002, reported IRNA.

Iran's anti-drug campaign costs the country 800 million dollars per year, according to officials.

thr 002 iran-afghanistan-cooperation /pol/ iran, afghanistan to cooperate on crop substitution project kabul, aug 6, irna -- iran and afghanistan agreed monday to work together on a project to replace the opium poppy with other legal crops in the world's largest opiate producer.

director general of the international economic cooperation department of the ministry of agricultural jihad hussein fazlollahi in a meeting with deputy head of the high commission for anti-drug fairs of afghanistan abdolrazaq asmar stressed the need to jointly implement the watershed crop substitution project.

he voiced iran's readiness to cooperation with afghanistan in the campaign against the illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and to help create a drug-free afghanistan.

he said iran is ready to help afghanistan in projects on fish farming, reconstruction of infrastructures and training of the afghan farmers on how best they can improve their yield.

asmar thanked iran for its assistance in the fighting against the illicit drugs.

he stressed the need for implementing projects to curb the illicit production and supply of the narcotic drugs in afghanistan.

iranian officials drew up last year broad lines of a watershed project to encourage the afghan farmers to cultivate food crops in their farmlands instead of the illicit opium poppy.

the crop substitution project conducted in helmand has come to a halt due to the developments taking shape in afghanistan but iran is encouraging now the international community to participate in efforts to continue the crop substitution project in the war-shattered afghanistan or create positive incentives for afghan farmers for cultivating food crops instead of opium poppy.

iran sits on the crossroads of the international drug trade which originates from sources in afghanistan and pakistan to markets in central asia, europe and persian gulf littoral states.

the country accounts for 80 percent of the opium and 90 percent of the morphine intercepted in the world, according to the international narcotics control board.

the country's police have seized 112 tons of illegal drugs originated mostly from afghanistan and arrested 306,000 people on drug-related charges in the last iranian year, which ended march 20, 2002.

iran's anti-drug campaign costs the country 800 million dollars per year, according to officials.