The Second Baghdad International Conference on Combating Drugs began, under the patronage and presence of Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani. Al-Sudani said in a speech at the Second Baghdad International Anti-Drug Conference: 'Our vision of drugs is not limited to the harm that targets our youth. Rather, we see them as a fundamental factor in the instability of the region, as they break up families and recruit terrorists and murderers.' He added: 'A great responsibility falls on our shoulders in combating drugs, and we have given this issue a priority in our government.' He pointed out: "Drugs are a means of destroying societies from inside, and the evil done by drugs is no less effective than wars." The Prime Minister continued: 'Drugs are a cross-border crime from which no one is safe, and we can unite efforts so that our societies are free of this scourge,' stressing: 'Iraq is ready for joint security coordination with neighboring countries to combat and eliminate drugs.' For his part, Interior Minister Abdul Amir Al-Shammari stressed the need for cooperation and coordination to confront the drug threat. Al-Shammari said, in a speech at the Second Baghdad International Conference on Combating Drugs: 'Without fruitful cooperation, the drug threat will continue.' He added: "We have initiated many measures and well-thought-out plans to pursue drug traffickers. We have brought down major figures in the drug trade, and we have concluded memorandums of understanding with many countries to confront this dangerous phenomenon." Source: National Iraqi News Agency