Russia and the European Union have carried out scheduled expert consultations on the drug issue, the Russian Permanent Mission to the EU said on Friday. The consultations were held in Brussels on September 19.

"The Russian interagency delegation was led by Alexey Rogov, Deputy Director of the Department for New Challenges and Threats of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The EU delegation was headed by Elisabeth Marschang, Deputy Director of the Department for International Organisations of the Federal Ministry of Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs of Austria, currently holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU," the diplomatic mission noted.

"In the course of the consultations the parties discussed in detail respective drug policies, drug situation in Russia and EU Member States, the problem of new psychoactive substances as well as exchanged views on the implementation of the 2016 UN General Assembly Special Session final document on the world drug problem in the context of comprehensive review of Political Declaration and Plan of Action of 2009 on countering illicit drug trafficking to be held in 2019," the diplomatic mission noted.

During the negotiations the sides reaffirmed proximity of their approaches towards key issues of combating drug trafficking, which opens additional prospects for establishing mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation in this sphere.