OTTAWA ADDS $25M TO FIGHT AFGHAN DRUG TRADE

OTTAWA--Ottawa is stepping up its efforts to combat the opium trade
in Afghanistan and in turn tighten the flow of money to insurgents,
Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said Thursday.

Cannon, who is attending the London Conference on Afghanistan,
announced the federal government is contributing $25 million toward
counter-narcotic efforts, including improvements to policing and the
criminal justice systems. That brings Canada's commitment to $55
million since 2007.

"Canada recognizes that developing strong and effective
counter-narcotics measures in Afghanistan is a vital element in the
effort to help Afghans gain the security they need to build a
long-term, stable, and prosperous future," Cannon stated in a release.

"The ultimate goal is to assist Afghanistan as it transitions toward
taking responsibility for its security, as the people of Afghanistan
rebuild their country as a stable, democratic and self-sufficient society."

The London Conference is focusing on security, development and
governance, and international and regional coordination.

The Canadian government believes that a sustained and significant
reduction in the production and trafficking of narcotics with will
lead to complete elimination, according a statement from the Foreign
Affairs Department.

"It will also be crucial to enforce a zero-tolerance policy toward
official corruption; to pursue eradication as appropriate; to
reinforce the message that producing or trading opiates is both
immoral and a violation of Islamic law; and to reduce the demand for
the illicit use of opiates," stated the release.

More than 65 delegations attended the London Conference. It will be
followed later this year by the Kabul Conference, which will further
the initiatives put forward in London.