Laos - Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia assess drug control efforts

A meeting of senior officials from Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam opened in Vientiane Wednesday to assess the countries' cooperative efforts on drug control.

The three-day, 11th ministerial meeting will also discuss plans and improvements for work in future years.

At the opening ceremony, Cambodia, which hosted the 10th ministerial meeting between the three countries, officially handed over that honour to Laos as this year's host.

Chairman of the Lao National Commission for Drug Control and Supervision (LCDC) Soubanh Srithirath said in his opening remarks "I am very glad to make the inaugural address at this 11th meeting between Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia which Laos has the honour to host."

He told the meeting the Lao government is strongly committed to cooperating with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in terms of setting up a National Drug Control Master Plan, which is scheduled for the 2009-2013 period and includes nine separate prevention and interdiction programmes.

He said he believes the implementation of such programmes will result in a gradual reduction of drug problems in Laos, thus contributing to realising a drug-free Asean by 2015 as expected and planned.

As in the past, the Lao government is strongly committed to combating drug problems by taking preventive, suppressive and curative measures, Soubanh said.

Many countries are encountering drug-related problems which need both short and long term solutions, he added, saying that narcotics are a blight on mankind that have a significant negative effect on socio-economic development and lead to an array of social evils.

Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia are working well in terms of drug control and supervision in their border areas, he said, but lamented the fact that drug smugglers were both resourceful and persistent in their efforts to move contraband substances throughout the region.

"We must join hands in fighting the movement and sale of illicit drugs by providing strong political leadership, harmonised and coordinated efforts and sustained and sufficient financial support," Soubanh said.

"People living in the border areas need to be enlisted as the ears and eyes of the authorities, to combat drug smugglers and help the joint drug control and supervision effort," he said.

This year cooperation for drug co ntrol in the region is under the lead of Laos, and all interdiction and suppression measures that are working well will receive enthusiastic support, he said, adding that there could be improv ements, particularly in relation to the timely sharing of information between the three countries.

The 12th meeting will take place in Vietnam next year.

Khonesavanh Latsaphao

Vientiane Times

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