WASHINGTON, Sept 15: President George Bush issued a list of major drug-producing and transit countries on Monday that includes Pakistan, India and Afghanistan.

He, however, has suggested no punitive action against them.

Others on the list include the Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nigeria, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Thailand, Venezuela, and Vietnam.

“I hereby identify the (above) countries as major drug-transit or major illicit drug producing countries,” said the presidential decree based on the information collected during the current fiscal year.

The official White House announcement, however, explained that “a country’s presence on the Majors list is not necessarily an adverse reflection of its government’s counter-narcotics efforts or level of cooperation with the United States.”

It noted that sometimes a country continues to allow drugs to transit or be produced despite “most assiduous enforcement measures” taken by its government.

President Bush, however, declared that Burma and Haiti have failed “demonstrably” during the last 12 months to implement international counter-narcotics agreements and have not taken appropriate measures to curb drug production and transit.

But he issued a waiver for Haiti “in the national interests of the United States,” which will allow this country to continue to receive US assistance despite being declared a defaulter.

Mr Bush praised the government of the Netherlands for its efforts to curb synthetic drugs. Most of the synthetic drugs seized in the United States this year had originated in the Netherlands.

Mr Bush noted that Guatemala, which was placed on the Majors list last year, has made efforts to improve its institutional capabilities and has taken measures to curb the distribution and production of drugs.

President Bush also expressed his “deep concern” about reports that North Korea was involved in trafficking heroin and methamphetamine to other East Asian countries. “We are increasingly convinced that state agents and enterprises in the DPRK are involved in the narcotics trade,” he added.