CHIANG MAI, Thailand, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's Foreign Affairs Minister Don Pramudwinai announced on Friday that his ASEAN counterparts have reaffirmed cooperation between the ASEAN member states to combat transnational crimes.
In a press statement released on Friday, the Thai foreign minister, who chaired an ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat in Chiang Mai, said his ASEAN counterparts have recognized the need to have a comprehensive approach to address transnational crimes which have accompanied enhanced regional connectivity.
"In that regard, we would work toward strengthening our cooperation on border management to safeguard our region while facilitating cross-border trade and movement of people," the Thai foreign minister said.
Besides, the ASEAN foreign ministers reaffirmed the commitment to promoting complementarity between the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to build a sustainable ASEAN Community which is to be discussed during the third High-Level Brainstorming Dialogue in Bangkok on March 29, 2019, Don said.
"We underscored the importance of implementing effectively the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and its various Blueprints as well as ASEAN agreements in force in order to maintain strong momentum in building a people-centered ASEAN community that leaves no one behind and looks to the future.
"We believed that ASEAN needs to not only maintain its unity and centrality but also enhance ASEAN's strategic value added in order to remain a driving force for key developments in our region," Don said in the statement.
He said he has briefed the ASEAN foreign ministers on Thailand's priorities and initiatives under the Chairmanship's theme of "Advancing Partnership for Sustainability" which they have discussed and expressed support.
The ASEAN foreign ministers have emphasized on the importance of enhancing regional connectivity and reaffirmed the value of building on connectivity strategies at sub-regional level and enhancing connectivity between ASEAN and other regions, according to the Thai foreign minister.
