Leaders study counter narcotics, regional stability.

More than 100 representatives from Central and South Asian states, Europe and the United States meet in Munich May 16-19 to examine the impact of illegal narcotics trafficking and strategies to defeat drug traffickers and promote regional stability.

The Conference on Counter Narcotics and Regional Stabilization in Central and South Asia States is being co-sponsored by the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies and the U.S. Central Command to build an avenue for change through frank and open discussions.

The goal is to allow participating nations and organizations to understand the international impact of the illegal drug trade, the security environment required to defeat narcotics traffickers and the regional and national priorities needed to counter the illegal narcotics trade.

The conference is drawing representatives from the ministries of the interior, foreign affairs and defense from participating nations, which include Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, the United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, Germany and the United States.

Representatives from the European Union, NATO, and the U.N. Drug Agency are scheduled to attend or make presentations. Introductory open sessions will be followed by workshop sessions. The conference will be translated into Dari, English and Russian.