Dniester leader thanks Venezuela for recognition of South Ossetia.

TIRASPOL, September 14 (Itar-Tass) -- Leader of Moldova's breakaway
Dniester region Igor Smirnov sent a telegram to Venezuelan President Hugo
Chavez with the gratitude for the recognition of the independence of
Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the presidential press service of the
self-proclaimed republic said on Sunday.

"Accept the words of sincere gratitude to the leadership of Venezuela
for great contribution in the consolidation of peace, the support to the
peoples, who are on the path to recognition. This historical decision of
the Venezuelan leadership showed once again the persistence in maintaining
the supremacy of the fundamental principles of international law," Smirnov
said in the telegram. The breakaway Dniester region is incorporated in the
Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations along with Abkhazia and
South Ossetia, the telegram runs. In this fraternal union three republics
are fighting for "a new fair world, for social and economic stability and
peaceful relations between the peoples," Smirnov recalled.

.Duma delegation calls for urgent measures to fight drug business.

ROME, September 14 (Itar-Tass) -- Speaker of the State Duma Boris
Gryzlov expressed profound concerns in connection with a growing drug
trafficking in Afghanistan. The major drug threat for Russia and Europe is
coming from the foresaid country, because Afghanistan is actually turning
into a major drug producing country, the speaker of the lower house of
Russian parliament told reporters in Rome on Sunday.
The Russian parliament speaker made these comments at the final
session of a meeting of the parliament speakers of the G8 countries. The
Sunday final session was devoted to the contribution of the parliaments in
the struggle against the drug spread and organized crime. The speakers of
the lower houses of the parliaments from the Group of Five countries
(Brazil, India, China, Mexico, the South African Republic) and Egypt also
joined the discussion.
UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of the UN Office on
Drugs and Crime Antonio Maria Costa delivered the main report on the issue.
The State Duma speaker believes that "the world community obviously
underestimated the scale and the threats of drug trafficking and the
operations of the NATO military contingents against the opium poppy
cultivation are quite ineffective." Meanwhile, the large-scale drug
production in Afghanistan is actually spurring up terrorist and extremist
organisations in the Central Asian region," Gryzlov noted. He stated about
Russia's intention to put forward an initiative in the United Nations in
order to recognize the drug situation in Afghanistan as a threat to the
whole world and endorse a relevant resolution by the UN General Assembly.
For his part, chairman of the State Duma Committee for International
Affairs Konstantin Kosachyov told Itar-Tass that the drug business in
Afghanistan poses a direct threat to Russian national security and
undermines the gene pool of the nation.

.Russia allocates loan to Venezuela to buy Russian weapons.

CARACAS, September 14 (Itar-Tass) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez
said Sunday that during his recent Moscow visit Russia has allocated a
2.2-bln-dollar loan to Venezuela to purchase Russian military hardware and
weapons. The Venezuelan president noted that the modernization of the
armed forces is needed for building up the defense capability of the
country.
"Thanks to the support of the president and the prime minister of
Russia an agreement was signed in order to build up our defense
capability," Chavez said in the Sunday TV show "Allo, Presidente". "We do
not conceal from anybody" that Russia will deliver 92 tanks T-72 to
Venezuela, the president noted. "The Venezuelan army is armed with the
tanks, which have already served for 30 years and some of them - for 50
years," Chavez said. The president also stated about the purchases of
multiple launch fire systems Smerch in Russia.
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