Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari invited Iran to take part in the upcoming conference on counter-narcotics slated for November 12-13 in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, IRNA reported.
At the invitation of the Pakistani president, ministers from twelve regional countries would be participating in the Regional Ministerial Conference on Counter-narcotics hosted by Pakistan.
The invited countries include Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, India, Islamic Republic of Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan. President Asif Ali Zardari will open the conference.
Foreign Ministry spokesman, Muazzam Khan said that 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.
Narcotics adversely affect the health of individuals and societies; they also threaten the security and stability of states. The democratic Government of Pakistan has taken a number of steps in the recent past to address the growing threat of narcotics, the spokesman said.
As a result, Pakistan become a Poppy Free Country in 2011 and, currently, leads the world in narcotic drugs control, he said.
The production, demand and trafficking of narcotics is a serious threat, which transcends national boundaries. The President's initiative would further boost joint efforts with key regional partners to counter narcotics, Khan said..