Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos determine to enhance co-op in combating drugs

The 10th tripartite/bilateral ministerial meeting on drug control cooperation between Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos began on Wednesday.

Ke Kim Yan, chairman of the Cambodia's National Authority for Combating Drugs (NACD), called for more cooperation among the three countries to achieve the ASEAN free of drugs by 2015.

"There are flaws in cooperation among the three countries in combating drugs,"Ke Kim Yan said during the opening ceremony.

He said that the three countries should intensify more cooperation to complete the flaw of cooperation in order to prevent circulation, production, farming drug crops at border areas of the three countries and turn the border areas as the wall to prevent production, plantation, circulation, smuggling, transit, and consumption of drugs.

"We need more efforts and cooperation to combat drug criminals to achieve the ASEAN free of drug by 2015,"he said.

Moek Dara, secretary general of the NACD, told reporters after the opening ceremony that Cambodia is actively combating against drug criminals.

In 2010, 320 cases of drug offensives have been cracked down with 638 suspects including 63 foreigners (three Laotians) and drugs were seized for destruction, he said.

He added that the number of drug addicts in Cambodia is still stable at 6,000 drug addicts. Currently, 1,119 drug addicts have been in the centers for drug quit and education.

The three-day meeting is attended by 84 drug officials from Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos.

The Laotian officials led by Soubanh Sritthirath, chairman of the Lao National Commission for Drug Control and Supervision, and Vietnamese officials led by Le The Tiem, deputy minister of Public Security and permanent member of the National Committee on AIDS, Drugs, Prostitution Control of Vietnam.

Source: Xinhua