PRESS STATEMENT

Cambodia is honored to be the host of the Seventh ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (7th AMMTC), the Fourth ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime + Three (4th AMMTC+3) (China, Japan and Republic of Korea) and the First ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime + China (1st AMMTC + China) from 16 to 19 November 2009 in Siem Reap City, Kingdom of Cambodia.

The countries of ASEAN share many common perspectives, and many common challenges. The relationship within ASEAN has always been characterized by understanding and cooperation. Together, within the ASEAN framework, ASEAN Member States (AMS) have faced many challenges and accomplished many things.

Today, ASEAN Member States face many challenges within their region. Chief among these is the problem of transnational crime. AMS realizes that this is not Cambodia’s problem alone. This is all ASEAN Member States face. And to meet this problem, and to effectively combat it, ASEAN recently have adopted an important new additional guiding mechanism, the ASEAN Charter.

The perpetrators of international crime are well organized and highly motivated. The ASEAN countries, acting together, are even more organized and even more motivated than them. The ASEAN Charter provides ASEAN Member States with strength and resolve to commit the ASEAN law enforcement to combat and prevent organized crimes.

ASEAN objective is clear: to stamp out international crime completely, in all its forms. For the safety and long term stability of the entire ASEAN region, ASEAN may not fail at this task. That demonstrates ASEAN: one vision, one identity and one community.

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