In Irkutsk, Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation General of the Police of the Russian Federation Vladimir Kolokoltsev held a meeting of the Joint Board of the Ministries of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation. Kazakhstan's delegation was headed by Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Police Colonel-General Kalmukhanbet Kasymov.

Opening the meeting, Vladimir Kolokoltsev outlined the issues on the agenda that are undoubtedly most urgent today. “Our countries are facing common criminal threats, including drug crimes and illegal migration. Their scale has long spread beyond the borders of individual states. Only joint efforts can enable us to efficiently counteract modern challenges,” the Minister said, having added that today we have all necessary conditions for that, namely a solid international legal framework, various mechanisms for interagency collaboration and common interest in further enhancement of the partnership.

The Chief of the Russian MIA highly praised the level of cooperation both in bilateral and multilateral formats. Anti-crime programs are being implemented in the CIS, within the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and a number of other international organizations. The Joint Board also plays a significant role: “This advisory body was established relatively recently, but it has already proved its efficiency as an essential instrument in strengthening our cooperation,” stressed Vladimir Kolokoltsev.

The Russian Minister suggested a discussion of the measures for improving the collaboration in combating drug crimes. Being a real hazard, that problem negatively impacts people's health, demographic processes, undermines the economic potential, and deteriorates the current situation: “Over the last five years, the number of crimes committed in a state of narcotic intoxication has increased by more than 1.5 times in our country. Today, every tenth crime involves illegal drug trafficking,” said the Chief of the Russian MIA.

However, the joint measures implemented by the law enforcement bodies of the two states are highly efficient. Only this year, nearly 330 kilograms of narcotic substances were removed from illegal trafficking within the operation “Channel–Western Cordon”.

According to the Russian Minister, consolidation in countering illegal migration is no less important because that problem “involves risks of emergence of interethnic and interconfessional tension, causes growth of extremist sentiments, increase in organized ethnic crimes, expansion of the illegal labor market and development of “the shadow economy”.

Over 16 million foreigners and stateless persons annually enter the Russian Federation. Only in the first half of this year, 7 million foreigners were registered in the migration database. Besides, more than a half of those were registered in six major regions.

“Control over so intensive migration flows requires serious efforts. For that purpose, over 200,000 various checks were accomplished and about 21,500 crimes were solved,” said the Minister. More than 2,500 foreigners were deported from Russia for violation of the rules of stay in our country. Nearly 77,000 people were prohibited to enter the Russian Federation.

Vladimir Kolokoltsev emphasized that the migration situation is generally controlled both in Russia and in Kazakhstan, also as a result of the close collaboration of the law enforcement bodies of the two states.

At the end of the meeting, the parties discussed the work plan of the Joint Board of the Russian MIA and the MIA of the Republic of Kazakhstan for the next year.