Cambodia and Vietnam are stepping up their collaboration in the fight against drug trafficking. They are currently enhancing training for specialist officers and exploring the possibility of building a rehabilitation and treatment centre in eastern Cambodia.
The new cooperation was announced as Meas Virith, secretary-general of the National Authority for Combating Drugs (NACD), paid an official August 10 to 13 visit to Vietnam.
Representing NACD chairman Deputy Prime Minister Neth Savoeun, Virith met with Senior Lieutenant General Ngo Thanh Binh, director-general of the Department for Combating Drug Crimes under Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security, in Hanoi on August 11.
During the meeting, the Cambodian side proposed examining the possibility of building a rehabilitation and treatment centre in eastern Cambodia, with a possible location in Prey Veng or Svay Rieng province.
In addition, Cambodia called for strengthening the capacity of specialist officers by increasing participation in two training courses — requesting 60 trainees per course — and for the provision of technical equipment to support anti-drug operations, according to the NACD.
The Vietnamese side praised Cambodia’s efforts in combating drugs and made several requests to the Cambodian delegation.
They urged the Cambodian government to continue guiding relevant authorities to cooperate in cracking down on cross-border drug crimes and tracking drug kingpins; strengthened cooperation between Border Liaison Offices (BLOs); and participation in high-level joint operations, details of which have already been sent to Cambodia’s Ministry of Interior and are planned for implementation in the near future.
Virith expressed his gratitude to Vietnam for past cooperation, particularly in training law enforcement and rehabilitation officers, which Vietnam provides to Cambodia on an annual basis.
The visit also included other key activities, such as courtesy meetings and working discussions with Major General Nguyen Van Long, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam, on reciprocal cooperation in drug suppression, as well as field visits to study Vietnam’s drug treatment and rehabilitation programmes.
