NDO/VNA – The 15th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC 15), which was held online from September 28 - 30 under the chair of Brunei, adopted a declaration on combating transnational crime in the post-pandemic period.

The declaration, initiated by the rotating ASEAN Chair Brunei, is expected to form the basis of the bloc’s plan to combat the latest crime trends, such as cybercrime, and smuggling activities in border areas.

Participating ministers also adopted a roadmap for ASEAN border cooperation, which sets out measures to enhance security in border areas in the ASEAN region.

They also jointly assessed the global and regional situations affecting transnational crime developments and agreed upon solutions to promote the goals set out in the ASEAN Plan of Action in Combating Transnational Crime for 2016-2025.

Speaking at the conference, Minister of Defence II of Brunei and Chair of AMMTC 15 Datu Seri Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof affirmed Brunei will continue to support regional and international efforts to combat cross-border crime with a focus on related opportunities and challenges in the post-COVID-19 era.

He emphasised that the AMMTC needs to strengthen cooperation with ASEAN agencies and sectors and with the bloc’s dialogue partners, including China, the Republic of Korea and Japan, to support regional efforts to recover from the crisis caused by the pandemic.