Bangkok (VNA) – Minister of Public Security General To Lamled a Vietnamese delegation to the 13th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting onTransnational Crime (AMMTC-13) and relevantmeetings, which kicked off in Bangkok, Thailand, on November 27. 

Speaking at the plenary session of AMMTC-13, GeneralLam briefed participants on the results of transnational crime combat inVietnam since the AMMTC-12, while emphasising Vietnam’s commitment to activelyand responsibly participate in ASEAN’s cooperation frameworks in general andcooperation mechanisms in combating transnational crime in particular in thecontext that the country willundertake the role as the ASEAN Chairmanshipand a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2020.

He suggested ASEAN member nations supporting Vietnam's initiative to list antiquessmuggling combat as a priority of cooperation under the ASEAN SeniorOfficials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC) and AMMTC.

Law enforcement agencies of ASEAN member states should continue to maintain andstrengthen cooperation in the fight against transnational crime, enhance the sharingof experiences in fighting drug crime and joint investigations, and payattention to improving the capacity for law enforcement staff, Lam said.

He also called for regional coordination in effectively implementing criminaljudicial assistance requests among ASEAN countries and their partners, withpriority given to negotiations to soon sign agreements on extradition andtransfer of sentenced persons, and legal assistance in criminalmatters.

Participants to the event acknowledged and highly valued efforts made by theregional countries in fighting transnational crime, especially in implementingagreements signed at AMMTC-12 in Myanmar, and the ASEAN Plan of Action to Combat Transnational Crime in 2016-2025.

The meeting issued a joint statement, in which the ministers welcomeVietnam to host AMMTC-14 and related meetings in 2020, and praise efforts by theSOMTC working group on counter terrorism in the fight against violent extremismand radicalisation.

The ASEAN ministers are scheduled to have meetings with senior officials incharge of issues related to transnational crime from ASEAN’s dialogue  countries on November 28./.