ASEAN vows to strengthen cooperation to tackle transnational crime

FILE: The headquarter of Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) in Jalan Sisingamangaraja No.70A, South Jakarta, Indonesia. (Photo By Gunawan Kartapranata – Own work/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)

VIENTIANE – The member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) pledged to toughen their stance against transnational crime, with closer cooperation being emphasized during the 24th ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC) in Vientiane, Laos.

According to the Lao Security News report on Thursday, the 24th SOMTC and its related meetings kicked off in Lao capital Vientiane on Wednesday.

The meeting will devise policies, plans, and projects and coordinate the implementation of work involved in the fight against transnational crime in the ASEAN region.

During the meeting, delegates will share views and assess the situation and trends of transnational crime in the region and the world.

In the future, more information will be shared between ASEAN member countries concerning transnational crime, while the capacity of law enforcement officers will be enhanced.

The Southeast Asian regional bloc will strengthen their cooperation in this field, and source more technical assistance and funding from partner countries and international organizations to enhance the bloc’s capacity to combat transnational crime.

ASEAN is composed of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

 (Xinhua)