UNIS/NAR/643

1 July 1998

POPPY FUNGUS PROJECT IS NOT 'BIOLOGICAL WARFARE', SAYS UN

VIENNA, 1 July (UN Information Service) -- The following statement was
issued today by the Spokesman for Pino Arlacchi, Executive Director of the
Vienna-based UN Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention:

With reference to an article which appeared in the "Sunday Times" on 28
June under the title "Britain funds biological war against heroin" and
subsequently quoted by other dailies and media organizations in different
countries, the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP)
wishes to clarify the following:

- -- The UNDCP is supporting a research and development programme on an
environmentally safe plant pathogenic fungus (Pleospora papaveracea). The
reasearch is being carried out by the Institute of Genetics in Tashkent,
Uzbekistan, with financial support from the UNDCP, through donor funding.

- -- Neither the Institute of Genetics in Tashkent nor the UNDCP are involved
in developing any "biological weapon" nor are they conducting any research
on "biological warfare". These terms are totally inappropriate and gravely
distort the nature of the project which, as above mentioned, aims at
developing an environmentally safe and reliable biological control agent
for opium poppies.

- -- Statements made in the press to the effect that intelligence agents and
germ warfare experts are involved in the project are baseless. Research on
the project is being carried out by scientists at the Institute of
Genetics, with UNDCP assistance.

- -- This research and development programme is still in its initial stages.
No results, even at preliminary level, will be available for many months to
come.

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski