The opening ceremony was attended by Lao Minister of Public Security Lieutenant General Somkeo Sylavong, high-ranking leaders of the ASEAN member countries as well as partner and dialogue countries of the ten-member group.
The Vietnamese delegation to the event was led by Lieut. Gen. Tran Van Ve, the acting head of the Police General Department.
SOMTC 17 is a forum for the participants to review the fight against trans-national crimes in such fields as terrorism, the trafficking of drugs, weapons, humans, wild animals and wood, illegal migration, money laundering, piracy, economic and high-tech crimes.
They will mull over the working schedule of SOMTC during 2016-2018 and the implementation of the ASEAN Political-Security Community Blueprint 2025, and prepare for the ASEAN Ministers' Meeting on Transnational Crimes in 2017.
Apart from its official meeting, SOMTC 17 will feature consultations with partner countries like China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, Russia, the EU, New Zealand, the US, Canada and India.
Addressing the plenary session, Ve said Vietnam’s enforcement forces have made marked contributions to the combat against trans-border crimes through cooperation with other ASEAN members as well as the bloc’s dialogue and partner countries.
Stressing risks of terrorists, human traffickers and high-tech crimes in the region, the officer called on the ASEAN nations to enhance cooperation between their law enforcement agencies in the exchange of information and experience, and in the implementation of the group’s related programs and plans.
The Vietnamese delegation also raised initiatives to combat regional crimes in property recovery, crime hunt and cyber terrorism.
On May 23, the ASEAN nations and the ASEAN Secretariat co-organized several other meetings on trans-national crimes to set forth solutions to the problem.
Source: VNA