First Conference of Ministers of Public Security and Home Affairs of Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam opens

The 1st Annual Conference of Ministers of Public Security and Home Affairs of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam officially took place, on the morning of March 29, 2024 in Da Nang city, under the co-chair of Minister of Public Security of Vietnam General To Lam, Member of the Ministry Politician, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Security of Laos General Vilay Lahamphong, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs of Cambodia Sar Sokha.

Present at the conference were also leaders from the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam, leaders of provincial-level police departments of the 19 provinces bordering Laos and Cambodia as well as leaders from Da Nang city.

The conference aimed to step up the implementation of the agreements of the three countries' senior leaders, as well as improve the effectiveness and efficiency of cooperation among the three countries’ security and police forces in maintaining order and security in each country, fighting trans-border crime.  

The meeting also created an opportunity for senior leaders of the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam, the Ministry of Public Security of Laos and the Ministry of Home Affairs to exchange information and discuss approaches to expand cooperation in the time to come, contributing to building the Vietnam - Cambodia, Vietnam - Laos and Cambodia - Laos borderlines as borders of peace, cooperation and development.

Speaking at the opening session of the conference, Minister of Public Security of Vietnam General To Lam underscored, the world is constantly changing with armed conflicts while the regional situation is unpredictable, which requires countries, particularly Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam to strengthen their cooperation. 

The context also requires law enforcement forces of the three countries to join efforts to ensure order and security along the shared borderlines and in each country.

Minister To Lam expressed his belief that the 1st Annual Conference of Ministers of Public Security and Home Affairs of the three countries of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam would create a new cooperation mechanism for the law enforcement forces of the three countries, contributing to ensuring national security and social order and safety of each country.

After the opening session, the head delegates presented reports evaluating the results of cooperation in the field of crime prevention and control between the police forces of the three countries.

According to reports, the ministries had strengthened their cooperation and support in all fields, especially in fighting trans-border crime, contributing to cultivating the traditional special friendship and solidarity of the three countries. 

Every year, senior leaders of the three ministries visit each other and have bilateral meetings at international and regional forums to exchange information of mutual concern, provide each other support and assistance, and coordinate in solving related issues.

Regarding the orientations for cooperation in the coming time, the ministers of the three countries agreed to effectively implement bilateral cooperation agreements between Vietnam and Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia, and Cambodia and Laos, enhance information exchange on world and regional situations related to national security and social order and safety of each country, maintain defense and security cooperation mechanisms, join efforts to build Vietnam-Laos, Vietnam-Cambodia and Cambodia-Laos borderlines of peace, cooperation and development. 

They also pledged to not allow any individual or organization to use the territory of one country to carry out acts of sabotage in the other or interfere in the other’s internal affairs.

On the sidelines of the conference, the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam hosted a sport exchange program between the three ministries, a seminar on fire prevention and fighting and a rehearsal of joint rescue and fire plans for forces of the three countries.