Minister of Public Security attends 7th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting On Drug Matters
Minister of Public Security General To Lam leading the Vietnamese delegation attended the plenary session of the 7th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Drug Matters (AMMD) which officially opened on October 14 via videoconferencing under the chair of Cambodia.
In his speech, Minister To Lam affirmed that Vietnam echoed ASEAN’s common stance about the uncompromising fight against drugs and the long-term goal of a drug-free ASEAN Community.
He emphasized, as a member nation, Vietnam has made active contributions to regional anti-drug efforts.
The country has comprehensively and appropriately combined its national anti-drug program with the ASEAN Work Plan on Securing Communities Against Illicit Drugs 2016 - 2025 and the ASEAN Cooperation Plan to Tackle Illicit Drug Production and Trafficking in the Golden Triangle 2020 - 2022.
Vietnam has also revised its Law on Drug Prevention and Control in order to effectively respond to changes in drug crime situations, the Vietnamese head delegate revealed.
It has given high priority to preventing trans-border illicit drug trafficking by land, waterway, and air, disseminating anti-drug public education programs, rehabilitating drug addicts at centers, and strictly controlling lawful activities related to drugs, Minister Lam emphasized.
To achieve the set goals, Minister Lam suggested the regional countries should strengthen “political trust” in the fight against illicit drugs. Particularly, the member states need to establish online information exchange channels, share experience in drug prevention, raid drug-trafficking networks along their borderlines, and joint investigation of transnational drug cases.
ASEAN countries should actively adapt to the "new normal" state by organizing online seminars and training courses to share experience in fighting illicit drugs as well as strengthen coordination, information exchange, and cooperation within the bloc via vaccine passports and "green channel" agreements, General Lam added.
He also suggested expanding cooperation with its dialogue partners in building capacity of their law enforcement forces and supporting technical equipment for counter-narcotics forces.
With its efforts and based on internal resources, the Vietnamese Government commits to working closely with ASEAN member states in the fight against illicit drugs as well as hopes that other countries and international organizations will provide support for Vietnam to fulfill its anti-drug programs.
Vietnam advocates the contents of discussions at the 7th AMMD and believes that the 7th AMMD would serve as a high-level political commitment of ASEAN to the regional fight against illicit drugs in the 2016 - 2025 period, the Vietnamese head delegate stressed.
At the event, participants were updated on developments in ASEAN as well as reviewed a report on the outcomes of the 41st ASEAN senior officials’ meetings on drug matters, a mid-term review report on the ASEAN Work Plan on Securing Communities Against Illicit Drugs 2016 – 2025 and the ASEAN Cooperation Plan to Tackle Illicit Drug Production and Trafficking in the Golden Triangle.
