Hanoi (VNA) – The 27th ASEAN Directors-General of Immigration Departments and Heads of Consular Affairs Divisions of Ministries of Foreign Affairs Meeting (DGICM 27) and its related meetings will be held in Nha Trang city, the south-central coastal province of Khanh Hoa, from August 12-16, heard a press conference on August 6.

DGICM 27 will focus on challenges to the immigration and consular affairs work, aiming at building a common ASEAN house that stays firm in any circumstances, said the Immigration Department at the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security.

It marks the tightened cooperation between immigration and consular affairs agencies in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), while offering an opportunity for host Vietnam to demonstrate its responsibility as a DGICM member, contributing to building an ASEAN of unity and solidarity.

According to the department, ensuring comprehensive security is a key task for ASEAN to develop sustainably in the context of both traditional and non-traditional security threats, which also require member countries to change their mindset and consolidate their commitments and determination towards a united grouping.

At DGICM 27, Vietnam will raise initiatives to be submitted to the ASEAN Secretariat regarding the principles, role, tasks, frequency, content, and funding of the meeting.

Colonel Dang Tuan Viet, Deputy Director of the Immigration Department, said participating countries will exchange experience and propose new measures in immigration and consular affairs, and look into the implementation of DGICM cooperation initiatives and mechanisms.

Within the framework of the meeting, the 7th ASEAN Heads of Major Immigration Checkpoints Forum (AMICF 7) will be held on August 13, during which delegates will share experience in managing major border gates and put forth measures to better the work.

There will be the 19th ASEAN Immigration Intelligence Forum (AIIF) and the 3rd Meeting of Heads of Specialist Unit on People Smuggling the same day. Meanwhile, the 19th DGICM Australia Consultation and the 3rd DGICM 3 Consultation (China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea) are slated for August 15.

Since its first edition in 1996, DGICM has been held annually by member countries on a rotating basis.

Joining the mechanism in 1997, Vietnam hosted the meeting in 2003 in Hanoi, and in 2013❀ in Ho Chi Minh City./.