Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi confirmed that Jordan is taking all necessary steps to combat drug trafficking across its borders with Syria and is doing everything required to protect its national security from this escalating threat. Al-Safadi made these remarks during a virtual intervention at the ministerial meeting of the International Coalition to Address the Threat of Synthetic Drugs, hosted by the United States and opened by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington. He stated that the formation of the coalition is an important step in confronting the rising threat of synthetic drugs and addressing its serious proliferation.
He added, "This new international coalition will allow us to work together to combat the production, smuggling, and distribution of synthetic drugs." He continued, "Attempts to smuggle drugs across the Syrian border are ongoing and repeated," noting the confiscation of over 65 million Captagon pills over the past two years.
Al-Safadi pointed out that the global nature of the threat posed by synthetic drugs, along with the vast resources available to their manufacturers and traffickers, necessitates a coordinated international effort to confront this danger. He emphasized the importance of cooperation in providing border protection technology, sharing intelligence information, and exchanging expertise in drug awareness and rehabilitation for victims.
He stressed that Jordan is ready to cooperate in tackling the drug threat, which cannot be effectively addressed without genuine international collaboration. It is worth noting that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken convened this ministerial meeting today to announce the establishment of a global coalition to confront the threats posed by synthetic drugs.
This coalition aims to unify efforts from countries around the world to prevent the illegal manufacturing and trafficking of synthetic drugs and to effectively respond to their impacts on public health. The international coalition is scheduled to meet in person on the sidelines of the seventy-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Commission on narcotic drugs in March 2024.
The ministerial meeting was attended by thirty foreign ministers and officials from over eighty countries, along with representatives from regional and international organizations.
