Pakistan hosts regional meet on Counter-Narcotics on Nov. 12-13

Ministers from twelve regional countries would be participating in the Regional Ministerial Conference on Counter-narcotics in Islamabad from November 12 to 13, officials said Sunday. The invited countries included Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan. The Foreign Ministry said the aim of the Ministerial Conference is to share national experiences in countering the menace of illicit drugs and discuss prospects of regional cooperation in developing pragmatic, comprehensive and sustainable ways of addressing the multifaceted challenge posed by illicit drugs production, demand and trafficking. President Asif Ali Zardari, who has taken the initiative, will inaugurate the conference, Foreign Ministry spokesman Moazzam Khan said. The democratic government of Pakistan has taken a number of steps in the recent past to address the growing threat of narcotics. As a result, Pakistan became a Poppy Free Country in 2011 and, currently, leads the world in narcotic drugs control, officials said. The production, demand and trafficking of narcotics are a serious threat, which transcend national boundaries. The President's initiative would further boost joint efforts with key regional partners to counter narcotics, a Foreign Ministry statement said.