Regional defense officials meet in Cambodia for peacekeeping, maritime cooperation

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) — Approximately 60 defense officials from 22 countries in ASEAN and ASEAN’s dialogue partner countries gathered here Wednesday to exchange ideas and experiences on peacekeeping operations and maritime security.

Speaking at the opening of the two-day ASEAN Regional Forum, Defense Officials’ Dialogue, Maj. Gen. Lay Chenda, director of ASEAN Affairs Department at Cambodia’s Ministry of Defense, said the meeting was a great opportunity for defense officials to boost confidence building, to promote preventive diplomacy and to strengthen the approaches to conflicts.

“The dialogue would also try to explore options to promote relations and high effectiveness as well as targeted responses to strengthen cooperation of peacekeeping operation and enhance maritime security cooperation in the region,” he said.

He said the results of the dialogue would be a core value of knowledge for the promotion of peace, political stability and social order in the region and the world as well.

The event was co-hosted by Cambodia’s Defense Ministry and New Zealand’s Defense Ministry.

Defense officials from the United States, Russia, China, India, Japan and South Korea also attended the meeting.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

ASEAN crime busters meet …for more talks

25/5/2010(AFP)—PHNOM PENH- Top police from ten Southeast Asian countries met in Cambodia on Tuesday to discuss strategies for combating terrorism, arms smuggling, commercial crimes and drug and human trafficking.

Two hundred senior police from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) attended the 30th ASEAN Chiefs of National Police Conference in the capital Phnom Penh.

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng said in remarks to open the conference that cross-border crime had flourished while the world was busy resolving the global financial crisis.

‘These activities have seriously affected social stability, resources, the lives of people and law enforcement forces,’ Mr Sar Kheng said.

Delegates from China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand as well as Interpol also attended the two-day meeting.

Asean groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. In November they pledged to create a regional immigration database to catch criminals and terrorists going across their borders.