Day: June 16, 2023

The European Union Friday sounded alarm over the rise of illicit drug use in Europe, calling for cooperation with third countries in the global fight against drug trafficking.

EU Commissioner for Interior Affairs Ylva Johansson said, “drug-related organised crime poses a major threat to society, and I am deeply concerned that the substances consumed in Europe today may be even more damaging to health than in the past.” She was speaking to the press after the release in Brussels on Friday of the European Drug Report 2023: Trends and Developments, presented by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA’s) latest analysis of the drug situation in Europe.

The European Drug Report 2023 describes how EU Member States are seizing record amounts of illicit drugs.

Johansson said that her recent visits to European seaports, and to Latin America, highlighted that drug traffickers continue to infiltrate supply chains, exploiting workers and negatively impacting communities through violence and corruption.

“It is crucial that the EU cooperate with third countries in the global fight against drug trafficking,” she stressed.

The report says that cannabis remains the most commonly used illicit drug in Europe. Around 8% (22.6 million) of European adults (15-64 years) are estimated to have used cannabis in the last year.

In 2021, the quantities of cannabis resin (816 tonnes) and herbal cannabis (256 tonnes) seized in the EU reached their highest level in a decade, suggesting high availability of this drug.

In Europe, an estimated 97,000 people entered some form of drug treatment for problems related to cannabis use in 2021.

Source: Kuwait News Agency

Kuwait Ambassador to India Jassem Al-Najm hailed a significant the role the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) plays in addressing regional and international challenges.

Some members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) joined the SCO as dialogue partners out of realization of the increasingly crucial role of the Organization in promoting cooperation among its member countries, he told KUNA on Thursday.

Ambassador Al-Najm made the comments while attending a celebration held by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi to mark the issuance of a SCO postcard.

On his part, Undersecretary of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs for Economic Affairs Dammu Ravi highlighted the importance of boosting regional cooperation to promote security and stability.

In an address to the audience, he said India, as current president of the SCO, is working hard to address the obstacles facing the flow of community and supply chains, notably regional conflicts.

New Delhi is setting the stage for hosting the SCO Summit in early July, Ravi added.

The State of Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, as well as the Maldives and Myanmar signed memoranda of understanding for joining the SCO as dialogue partners during the SCO foreign ministers’ meeting held in Panaji city, west India, on May 4-5.

Source: Kuwait News Agency

European Union Economic and Finance Ministers during their formal meeting in Luxembourg Friday discussed impact of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

They focused in particular on Ukraine’s economic and financing situation, said an EU statement released after the meeting.

The European Commission updated ministers on the state of play as regards the implementation of the EU’s macro-financial assistance for Ukraine.

Throughout 2023; to continue supporting Ukraine, the EU is providing an unprecedented support package called the macro-financial assistance plus instrument of up to EUR 18 billion (USD 19 billion), in the form of highly-concessional loans, of which EUR 7.5 billion (USD 8 billion) has already been disbursed to Ukraine in monthly tranches of EUR 1.5 billion (USD 1.6 billion). Disbursement of the next tranche is planned for later in June.

Further, the ministers gave guidance for more work as regards the preparation of the G20 meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors meeting of July 14-18 in India.

The G20 meetings provide a forum for key countries in the international financial system to discuss major issues, to coordinate the global economy’s stable and sustainable growth, noted the statement.

Source: Kuwait News Agency

The Central Mediterranean remains the main route for illegal migration into the EU, Frontex; the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, said in a press release Friday.

In the first five months of the year, the number of detections of illegal migrants into the EU reached 120,000, more than double (160%) compared to the same period in 2022. It is the highest number recorded since 2017.

So far this year, the Central Mediterranean remains the most active route into the EU, with more than 50,300 detections in January-May reported by national authorities. This route, according to the release, accounted for nearly half of the irregular entries to the EU in 2023.

Arrivals on the Central Mediterranean route drove the raise of 12% of all entries to the EU, as arrivals on all other migratory routes saw declines ranging from 6% on the Western Mediterranean up to 47% on the Western African route, it noted.

Source: Kuwait News Agency