Vientiane , Nov 16. Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam reached an agreement on cooperating under bilateral, multilateral, sub-regional and international frameworks to contribute to establishing Drug-Free ASEAN by 2015.
The 11th Bilateral/Trilateral Ministerial Meeting on Drug Control Cooperation between Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam was held in Vientiane between Nov 14-16 offered an opportunity to representatives of the three countries to review the drug control and the implementation of the Minutes of the Trilateral Drug Control Cooperation Meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Discussed at the meeting also included intelligence and information exchange, the identification of approaches and action plan for enhancing drug control cooperation along the common borders of the three countries.
�The more we are approaching the materialization of ASEAN Community, the more we are exposed to drug problems. In that prospective, the meeting confirms the strength and clear political commitment of the three governments in addressing drug problems and their active contribution to preventing the spread of illicit drugs such as: Amphetamine-Type Stimulants, the meeting was told.
The participating parties were urged to recognise the assistance and support among the friendly countries and from the international organisations as well as the civic awareness to enable the target groups to reduce drug need and use and pay attention to encouraging opium farmers to stop opium farming and do other sustained occupations.
The parties also agreed to propose the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime to continue financial and technical support drug control cooperation along the borders of the three countries.
Present at the meeting were Chairman of the Lao National Commission for Drug Control and Supervision, Mr. Soubanh Srithirath, Vice Chairman of Cambodian National Authority for Combating Drugs, Mr. Kao Khondara, and Deputy Minister of Public Security of Vietnam, Lt. Gen. Pham Quy Ngo