Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee: Finding solutions to increase the effectiveness of coordination between 8 Vietnamese and Lao provinces in drug prevention and control

On the morning of September 16, in Cua Lo town, a conference on drug prevention and control of 8 provinces of Vietnam and Laos took place.

Attending the conference on the Lao PDR side were representatives of the Lao Ministry of Security in Vietnam; comrades: Pheng Kan Nha Phe - Deputy Secretary, Deputy Governor of Hua Phan province; Thong Xi Xau Xu Li Phim - Deputy Governor of Phong Sa Ly province; representatives of Xieng Khouang and Luang Prabang provinces.

On the Vietnamese side there is a representativeVietnam Ministry of Public Security; provincial leaders:Dien Bien, Son La,Thanh Hoa; on Nghe An province's side, there was comrade Thai Thanh Quy - Alternate member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee.

Conference scene. Photo: Thanh Le

Synchronously deploy solutions

Speaking at the conference, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Thai Thanh Quy affirmed: Nghe An province is very pleased to host the 19th Conference on drug prevention and control coordination among 8 provinces: Thanh Hoa - Nghe An - Son La - Dien Bien (Socialist Republic of Vietnam) and Hua Phan - Luang Prabang - Phong Sa Ly - Xieng Khouang (Lao PDR).

Nghe An has an area of ​​nearly 16,500 km2, a population of over 3.3 million people with 21 district-level administrative units; has a 468.2 km long land border, adjacent to 3 provinces of Laos: Bolikhamxay, Hua Phan, Xieng Khouang. The province's transportation system includes roads, railways, waterways and airways.

This is an advantage for Nghe An in trade, exchange, and comprehensive cooperation with Laos. However, it is also a factor that drug criminals take advantage of, in which two issues of concern arise: the situation of drug smuggling across the border and the number of drug addicts.

Tam Hop Border Guard Station, Nghe An Border Guard in coordination with Border Guard Company 251 - Military Command of Bolikhamxay Province (Laos) organized a bilateral patrol of the Vietnam - Laos border. Photo courtesy of Hai Thuong

In order to effectively combat drug-related crimes, in recent years, Nghe An has focused on leading and directing the synchronous and drastic implementation of solutions, including identifying four key groups of solutions: Strengthening propaganda; strengthening the fight against and arresting drug-related crimes; doing a good job of drug addiction treatment and rehabilitation; and improving the effectiveness of international cooperation in drug prevention and control.

Every year, the People's Committee of Nghe An province conducts periodic bilateral meetings on security and order, including drug prevention and control, between the Police and Border Guard forces of Nghe An province and the provinces of Hua Phan, Xieng Khouang and Bolikhamxay.

In addition, Nghe An province has effectively coordinated to maintain the Liaison Office for drug prevention and control across the border. Organized many conferences, seminars, and meetings on drug prevention and control, proposed many important initiatives and solutions; many activities to support training, coaching, experience exchange and coordination in drug prevention and control with provinces of Laos; contributed to bringing positive and specific results in drug prevention and control work in Nghe An province.

Cooperation in the fight against drugs

Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee Thai Thanh Quy assessed: After 1 year of implementing the Memorandum of Understanding at the 18th Conference on coordination in drug prevention and control across the border on October 18, 2018 in Thanh Hoa province, Nghe An has made many efforts and achieved many good results.

The functional forces on both sides of the Vietnam - Laos border regularly proactively exchange and process information, coordinate to deploy many solutions to effectively combat and prevent drug crimes; organize effective drug rehabilitation and post-rehabilitation management, and basically eradicate opium growing areas.

This result affirms that the relationship and cooperation between the functional forces of Vietnam and Laos in drug prevention and control work is increasingly in-depth, practical and effective, contributing to fostering and further tightening the close relationship between the two countries.

Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Thai Thanh Quy speaks at the conference. Photo: Thanh Le

Besides the efforts and achievements, the fight against drug crimes in each province as well as the cooperation in drug prevention and control of the 8 provinces still have certain limitations.

Therefore, it is hoped that at the conference of the 8 Vietnam - Laos border provinces, in addition to evaluating the achieved results, there will be more exchanges and discussions on experiences and lessons in the fight against drugs; seriously assess the shortcomings, limitations, obstacles and difficulties in the past time, in order to find solutions to overcome and further strengthen the effectiveness of the coordination relationship between the 8 provinces in the work of preventing and fighting drugs in the coming time.

"Hopefully, the functional forces of the two brotherly countries of Vietnam and Laos will continue to promote the traditional friendship, long-standing loyal attachment; strengthen coordination, solidarity, friendship, and mutual assistance with the spirit of "brotherhood" and "comradeship" as the great President Ho Chi Minh and beloved President Kaysone Phomvihane expected and entrusted" - Comrade Thai Thanh Quy emphasized.