Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia adopt Joint Statement on fostering anti-drug cooperation

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The second working day of the 18th Trilateral/bilateral Ministerial Meeting on Cooperation in Prevention and Control of Drug Crime among Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia concluded on September 12 in Hanoi under the Chair of Senior Lieutenant General Le Quy Vuong, Deputy Minister of Public Security, member of the National Committee for AIDS, Drugs and Prostitution Prevention and Control of Vietnam and Head of the Vietnamese delegation.

Delegates attending the meeting.

The Cambodian delegation was headed by General Chunsovan, Deputy Chairman of the Cambodian National Committee for Drugs Prevention and Control while the Lao delegation was led by Lieutenant General Somvang Thammasith, Deputy Minister of Security of Laos, Head of the Lao steering Committee for Drug Prevention and Control.

At the meeting, Senior Lieutenant General Le Quy Vuong, as the event's chairman, briefed the delegates on the meeting's results. According to the chairman, the meeting focused on reviewing the situation and results of each country’s drug prevention and fighting, and the cooperation among/between the three countries in preventing and controlling drug-related crimes in recent times.

The three countries all shared their concerns about the illegal production, trade and transportation of narcotics, especially synthetic drugs and psychotropic substances in the region, admitting that the situation has become more complex and left negative impacts on the political security, social order and safety of all Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

Deputy Minister Le Quy Vuong speaking at the meeting.

The situation requires the authorities of each country to employ appropriate  approaches to more effectively deal with drug crimes.

The meeting also reviewed the implementation of the agreements among/between the three countries on drug prevention and control. Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia's delegations agreed that the three countries with their high sense of responsibility have paid due attention to international cooperation in fighting drug crimes.

Senior Lieutenant General Le Quy Vuong emphasized that, in the spirit of traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation among/between the three countries, the meeting discussed and highly agreed on directions for cooperation programs in 2020.

Delegates at the singning ceremony of the bilateral agreements between Vietnam and Cambodia.

The three countries will boost bilateral and trilateral cooperation in information sharing, professional experience exchange, enhance border management, improve the efficiency of joint border control and patrols, raise the operational efficiency of the Border Liaison Offices (BLO), establish new BLOs in areas with high risk of drug crimes, and raise border communities’ awareness of the dangers and harms of drugs.

They agreed to open joint training courses for anti-drug officers and enhance the management of illegal precursors used for production of synthetic drugs, send experts from one country to another to join investigation into transnational drug cases, promote law dissemination drives, and launch intensive campaigns against drug crimes in each country and along the shared borderlines.

Delegates at the singning ceremonyof the bilateral agreements between Vietnam and Lao.

Senior Lieutenant General Le Quy Vuong expressed his belief that the three countries, with their traditional solidarity and friendship between the three countries and their high consensus at this meeting, will achieve successes in prevention and fight against drugs, contributing to the development of each country and the building of a peaceful, stable, developed and drug-free ASEAN.

For their part, the Cambodian head delegate - General Chunsovan, Deputy Chairman of the Cambodian National Committee for Drugs Prevention and Control, and Laos' head delegate - Lieutenant General Somvang Thammasith, Deputy Minister of Security of Laos, Head of the Lao steering Committee for Drug Prevention and Control expressed their high consensus with Senior Lieutenant General Le Quy Vuong.

At the closing ceremony, the three delegations adopted the Joint Statement and meeting's Press Release. Bilateral agreements between Vietnam and Cambodia and between Vietnam and Laos were also signed by the delegate heads.