PM Lê Minh Hưng and the heads of delegations from ASEAN countries and the ASEAN Secretariat attending the ASEAN Law Enforcement High-level Conference on Cooperation in Combating Criminal Fugitives on September 30. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng hosted a reception in Hà Nội on Wednesday for heads of delegations from ASEAN countries and the ASEAN Secretariat attending the ASEAN Law Enforcement High-level Conference on Cooperation in Combating Criminal Fugitives.

PM Hưng said the conference's success will help safeguard peace and security in each member state and across the region, and advance a peaceful, stable and resilient ASEAN Community.

ASEAN’s always a strategic priority in Việt Nam's foreign policy and plays a key, strategic role in regional peace, stability and development, he said.

To make regional cooperation against transnational crime, especially fugitives, more effective, he asked the Ministry of Public Security and ASEAN law enforcement agencies to concentrate on several areas.

The priorities include speeding up bilateral extradition and prisoner transfer agreements between Việt Nam and ASEAN members that have yet to sign them. He also called for faster ratification of the ASEAN Treaty on Extradition, signed in the Philippines in November 2025, to give member states a stronger legal footing against crime, and for effective enforcement of other relevant international treaties and agreements.

He also called for formal ASEAN mechanisms to verify information on, arrest and quickly hand over fugitives believed to be hiding in another member state, including through hotlines and annual conferences.

The PM urged closer cooperation in receiving, verifying and investigating cases of Vietnamese fugitives hiding abroad, and tracking international fugitives sheltering in Việt Nam, through bilateral mechanisms.

He also pushed for wider use of INTERPOL and ASEANAPOL databases, along with information from international operations and conferences, to analyse new types of crime and the methods of foreign-linked offenders or foreigners operating in Việt Nam. The goal is to let authorities move quickly on prevention, investigation and enforcement.

The Government leader proposed more exchanges of delegations at all levels, particularly among working-level officials, and more specialised conferences and seminars to share information and practical experience.

He also expected deeper mutual understanding and capacity building in crime prevention, agreement on coordination mechanisms and measures among countries, and more international cooperation in specialised training to sharpen officials' professional skills, legal knowledge and foreign-language fluency.

Việt Nam and other ASEAN countries should also seek funding and equipment from dialogue partners and observers, while speeding up digital transformation and the use of science-technology in managing and apprehending international fugitives, he said.

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sar Sokha commended the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security for hosting the conference.

Reporting on its outcomes, Sar Sokha said participating countries agreed on strategic directions for regional cooperation against criminal fugitives – an emerging non-traditional security threat in a timely response to the demands of the new development era and the effective rollout of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.

The conference adopted an ASEAN Joint Action Plan on enhancing cooperation against criminal fugitives and a Joint Declaration, which together provide a legal framework for regional cooperation.

Cambodia is committed to fighting transnational crime, particularly online scams and wanted fugitives, he said.

He also voiced his hope that Việt Nam and other ASEAN members will continue to back Cambodia's initiatives against transnational crime. — VNA/VNS