PANO – The two-day ministerial meeting among Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia on drug prevention and suppression concluded on December 10th in Ho Chi Minh City.

In the framework of the meeting, trilateral and bilateral sessions were held, with excellent cooperation among the three countries in the drug fight over the past year. In the face of the complicated developments of drug crime, especially trans-border drug trafficking, to enhance the effectiveness of the drug fight, the three countries signed a joint statement.
Vietnamese and Lao delegations signing meeting minutes

According to the joint statement, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia agree to make more efforts to realize the vision and goal of a drug-free ASEAN Community in 2015 and beyond. The three countries will also boost cooperation with other ASEAN member nations and actively join the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Drug Matters in order to bring into full play the assistance and coordination among countries in the region.

The countries also agreed to place more priorities on measures to effectively prevent trans-border drug trafficking, enhance cooperation in joint investigation, and promote the role of the Border Liaison Office of each country.

Closing the meeting, Senior Lieutenant General Le Quy Vuong, Deputy Minister of Public Security, head of Vietnam’s delegation, stressed that, “On the basis of the traditional friendship among Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, we strongly believe that the cooperation in the drug fight will yield promising results, contributing to building an ASEAN Community free of drugs.”

Translated by Huu Duong