Enhancing cooperation in combating cross-border crimes

MLC member countries raise cooperation level to suppress cross-border crime, push for the meeting of law enforcement ministers this year to create concrete cooperation, cooperate to solve cross-border PM2.5, manage water resources in Mekong. On August 16, the 9th Mekong-Lancang Cooperation (MLC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held in Chiang Mai Province, chaired by Ekasiri Pindaruchi, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with Wang Yi, Member of the Politburo, Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of China. Ministers from the six MLC member countries, including Salemxay Kommasith, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lao PDR; Than Suay, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar; Sok Chhenda Sophea, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cambodia; and Nguyen Minh Hang, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, also attended th e meeting. The meeting, which was held under the theme of 'Towards the shared future of safer and sustainable Mekong-Lancang Region', adopted four documents as outcomes of the meeting and as a basis for further cooperation in the future. Two important documents were proposed by Thailand: the Joint Statement on the Mekong-Lancang Clean Air Initiative and the Joint Statement on Strengthening Cooperation in Combating Cross-Border Crime under the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Framework. The meeting also endorsed the initiative on strengthening cooperation on Lancang-Mekong water resources, stressing that the six member countries are located in the same region and share the same river, so it is necessary to strengthen cooperation on water resources, properly utilize, protect and manage the water resources of Lancang-Mekong River, which is essential to ensure the security of water supply, food security and energy security in the region, and promote sustainable economic and social development in the region. The Meet ing encouraged Member States to enhance the exchange of knowledge among themselves on best practices in sustainable and effective development, water resources management and conservation, personnel training and vocational education cooperation to enhance capacity in water resources management by enhancing exchanges through various existing cooperation mechanisms, such as the ASEAN Belt and Road Initiative, Ayeyarwady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMC), the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Economic Cooperation Development Program, and the Mekong River Commission (MRC), by jointly promoting development and driving development under coordination to progress and harmonize existing cooperation mechanisms. It also encourages member countries to jointly expand the network of partners for cooperation on water resources in the Lancang-Mekong region, to cooperate with all interested sectors to promote sustainable use, protection and management of water resources in the Lancang-Mekong region, and to jointly promote green, peaceful and high-quality development in the region. Source: Thai News Agency