Suhail Shaheen, the head of the Taliban’s political office in Qatar, has announced a meeting between representatives of the group and Natalia Quintavalle, the Italian Ambassador to Afghanistan.
Shaheen stated on his X (former Twitter) account that this meeting took place on Friday, September 22, in Qatar.
According to him, the Taliban representatives in this meeting requested the international community to provide alternative projects for the livelihood of poppy farmers in Afghanistan.
He added that these projects will contribute to strengthening the fight against narcotics.
Previously, Karen Decker, the current Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Mission to Afghanistan, had reported her meeting with Taliban representatives, stating that they discussed drug eradication efforts in Afghanistan.
These meetings occur as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) recently released a new report declaring Afghanistan as the world’s fastest producer of methamphetamine.
According to the report published on September 10, methamphetamine smuggling in Afghanistan and neighboring countries has increased nearly 12-fold.
The report indicates that drug discoveries have risen from 2.5 tons in 2017 to 29.7 tons in 2021 over a five-year period.
