US President Donald Trump on Wednesday identified India, China and Pakistan among 23 countries designated as major drug transit or illicit drug-producing countries, while separately welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to curb illicit opium poppy cultivation in India.
In a Presidential Determination submitted to the US Congress, Trump urged the governments of the countries on the list to address drug trafficking and production.
The determination, however, clarified that a country’s inclusion did not necessarily reflect its government’s current counterdrug efforts or its level of cooperation with the United States.
It said countries are placed on the list because of a combination of geographic, commercial and economic factors that allow drugs or precursor chemicals to be transported through or produced in their territories, even when their governments have undertaken “robust and diligent” narcotics-control and law-enforcement measures.
On India, Trump struck a more positive note, welcoming Modi’s efforts to tackle illicit opium poppy cultivation and strengthen supply-chain integrity.
“I welcome Prime Minister Modi and the Government of India’s efforts to address illicit opium poppy cultivation and bolster supply chain integrity. I look forward to continued cooperation through the United States-India Drug Policy Framework,” Trump said in the determination, which was made public on Wednesday.
Besides India, China and Pakistan, the countries identified as major drug transit or illicit drug-producing countries are Afghanistan, The Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Burma, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru and Venezuela.
(With inputs from PTI)