Cooperation sought to fight trafficking, drugs
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ASEAN ASSISTANCE NEEDED TO STEMSMUGGLING OF PEOPLE AND TRADE IN NARCOTICS:FOREIGN MINISTER
THAILAND has called on Asean foreign ministers meeting in Malaysia to prioritise joint cooperation against transnational human trafficking and the drug trade, Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said yesterday.
The ministers got together for a meeting before the Asean Summit kicks off today.
“Thailand finds it necessary for all Asean countries to jointly oversee the joint borders because the problems will affect regional security,” he said.
Therefore, Asean countries as well as their dialogue partners should jointly resolve problems for the sake of the region’s sustainable prosperity and security, which has people as its centre, he said.
Don said that national leaders due to meet at the weekend would also discuss anti-terrorism measures in the wake of last week’s attack in Paris, which saw at least 129 people killed and many others wounded.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said Asean leaders would also be tackling economic issues, such as the launching of the Asean single market at the end of the year, plus trade tie-ups with neighbouring countries.
Asean leaders were also expected to tackle the problem of human trafficking and climate change, as well as women’s empowerment, Anifah added.
Apart from Thailand, Asean groups Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.
Asean leaders will also meet separately with leaders of the United States, China, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia, Japan and India, as well as UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Anifah said.
US President Barack Obama, who arrived in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, is expected to pressure China over extensive land-reclamation and construction in disputed areas in the South China Sea.
Obama is on the final leg of a series of summits aimed at boosting Washington’s bid to rebalance ties towards Asia and challenge China’s increasingly assertive posture in the region.
Security was unusually tight in the Malaysian capital with police citing unconfirmed reports of an “imminent terrorist threat”, following last week’s Paris attacks and the downing of a Russian airliner over Egypt by Islamic State militants.
At least 2,000 army personnel were stationed at strategic points in Kuala Lumpur and another 2,500 were on standby, Malaysian Army chief Zulkifeli Mohd Zin said.
