Minister of Public Security General Tô Lâm talks with Chairman of the National Security Committee of Brunei Major General Awang Halbi bin Mohd Yussof, who is also Second Minister of Defence. — VNA/VNS Photo Mạnh Tuân

HÀ NỘI — The security forces of Việt Nam and Brunei have agreed to bolster comprehensive collaboration, particularly in the fight against traditional and non-traditional crimes.

The consensus was reached on Friday during talks between visiting Minister of Public Security General Tô Lâm and Chairman of the National Security Committee of Brunei Major General Awang Halbi bin Mohd Yussof, who is also Second Minister of Defence.

They believed that amid the complicated situation of transnational crimes, terrorism, human trafficking, and high-tech crimes in the region, the two security forces should work together, especially fighting terrorism, high-tech and drug crimes, as well as promote collaboration in the field of cyber security.

They explained close co-operation will contribute significantly to deepening the Việt Nam-Brunei comprehensive partnership in the future.

Stressing on the sound co-operative relations between the two countries in the past, the ministers said the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security and competent forces in Brunei have co-operated at all levels, in a number of bilateral and multilateral mechanisms, as well as at regional and international forums on crime prevention.

They recalled bilateral co-operation at the ASEAN Chiefs of Police Conference (ASEANAPOL), co-ordination to prevent and settle transnational crimes, and mutual legal assistance in criminal matters.

Lâm suggested the Brunei Ministry of Defence consider the establishment of a joint working group on political-security co-operation, organise annual deputy ministerial-level talks on crime prevention, and set up a co-ordinating mechanism on inspection and settlement of high-tech crimes, especially gambling crimes, among others.

He highlighted that both sides needed to exchange experiences in preventing terrorists who take advantage of the cyberspace to carry out other acts of sabotage, while promoting co-ordination to improve management capacity and ensure safety for the national information system.

Regarding multilateral co-operation, Lâm said both sides should support each other’s initiatives on crime prevention in the framework of ASEAN, help each other in tracking criminals, and enhance connectivity between the Greater Mekong Sub-region and the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) in crime prevention and extradition.

As the Ministry of Public Security celebrates its 75th Traditional Day of the Public Security Forces, and chair the 14th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC 14) in 2020, Lâm invited Awang Halbi bin Mohd Yussof to visit Việt Nam and attend the events.— VNS