Despite minor disagreements, the U.S. and...

In late February, Russia expressed its indignation over NATO"s failure to limit opium cultivation in the world"s largest heroin producer and criticized the international military contingent in Afghanistan for "practically guarding the fields where the drugs are grown."

"We are working as actively as we can with Russia to work out common policies... We don"t always agree on every single detail, but we have the same objective, and so we work it through," Richard Holbrooke said.

He said he had "very extensive talks" on the issue with the head of Russia"s anti-drug agency, Viktor Ivanov, last November.

"The Russians think that poppy crop eradication should be continued. We think it works against our larger purpose, and we"re focusing on high traffickers" interdiction and destroying drug bazaars, but that"s a tactical difference," he said.

Afghanistan produces more than 90% of the world"s illegal opium, the main raw material for heroin and a major source of

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