ASEAN-plus-three meet on int'l crime

ASEAN-plus-three meet on int'l crime

THAILAND: Senior officials from ASEAN, China, Japan and South Korea gathered on Friday ahead of a first-ever one-day ministerial meeting between the grouping and its regional neighbors on transnational crime.

Saturday's ASEAN-plus-three meeting is aimed at tackling a growing web of transnational crime in the region that includes terrorism, trafficking in people, drugs and arms, sea piracy, money laundering and cyber crime.

"We have been talking in detail in preparation for Saturday's ministerial meeting," a Thai official said. "We are discussing how to proceed with co-operation on transnational crime."

Thursday's meeting of ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the Thai capital vowed to speed up an action plan to combat cross-border crime and, in particular, voiced concern over the rising threat of terrorism in the region. -- AFP