New Delhi: Sharing their concern over drug trafficking, India and Pakistan today (Decc14, 2004) exchanged a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on efforts to deal with the problem.

A joint statement, issued after the two-day Director General-level talks between Narcotics officials of the two countries, said that both sides positively engaged with each other on issues relating to trafficking of drugs, psychotropic and precursor chemicals.

During the talks held in a "cordial and constructive atmosphere", the two sides discussed means of enhancing bilateral cooperation in exchange of information and operational intelligence, it said.

They agreed that the next round of talks would be held in Pakistan in June on mutually convenient dates to be decided through diplomatic channels.

NCB Director General Swaraj Puri while Anti-Narcotics Force Director General Maj Gen led the Indian side Nadeem Ahmed headed the Pakistani delegation at the talks.

"Pursuant to a decision taken at the Secretaries-level meeting in August 2004 for institutionalising agency-to-agency cooperation, both sides exchanged a draft MoU on drug-related matters," the Joint Statement said.

During the Home Secretary-level talks in Islamabad on August 10-11, the two sides had assessed as positive the increasing cooperation and information sharing between their narcotics control authorities and agreed to work towards an MoU to institutionalise cooperation in this area.

The two countries had decided to designate nodal officials in their High Commissions to liase on drug control issues.