DUSHANBE -- Iran and Tajikistan held their first expert committee to implement a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on combating narcotics smuggling on Thursday.

The MOU was signed during April during President Khatami trip Tajikistan.

Head of Iran's anti-drug headquarters Mohammad Hashemi who arrived in Dushanbe last Friday, told IRNA that he is here to review and assess Tajikistan's anti-drug smuggling capabilities and to provide a suitable ground for cooperation between the two countries.

Iran has inked over anti-drug MOU with 26 nations and is in the process of finalizing others with more countries.

He said in a meeting with Tajik authorities they exchanged views on anti-drug cooperation which were put into writing.

Training Tajik customs officials and police personnel by Iran is among the agreements, Hashemi remarked.

He also quoted the Tajik officials as saying that that country has about 50,000-60,000 addicts, 'which is a substantial number for a country with a population of 6.3 million'.

He said the figure is increasing annually.

Previously, addiction was an unknown phenomenon, but, higher drug transit has played a crucial role in boosting addiction in the country.

He said that the second session of the joint Iran-Tajikistan will take place in the next year Iranian year (starts March 21).

The executive director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime said here earlier in December that Iran's campaign against narcotic drugs trafficking has cost lives of 3,000 of its soldiers. Antonio Maria Kusta told IRNA on the sideline of the Fourth Regional Conference on Control and Combat Against Narcotic Drugs Trafficking: "Lots of measures have been and are being adopted in campaign against narcotic drugs trafficking, and they are welcomed and fully supported by the United Nations."

Kusta further reiterated that Iran's efforts in its anti-narcotics campaign are praise worthy.

He said that the main objective of arranging for the Fourth Regional Conference in Turkmenistan is surveying the latest achievements in international campaign against narcotic drugs trafficking, and finding out about the share and role played by different countries in that respect. In reply to IRNA's question on the UN role and plans for limiting narcotic drugs plantation in Afghanistan, Kusta said, "The United Nations assists Afghanistan in that respect and we hope President Karzai's government, too, would live up to its commitments in that regard and fight against poppy flower plantation in different parts of Afghanistan." He said that the UN supports those Afghan farmers who welcome substitute crops for their poppy flower plantation, adding, "We are seeking for a formula to help the Afghan farmers to gain enough income to support their families through the plantation of legally approved agricultural products."