Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have reaffirmed their strong commitment to continue working towards attainment of a drug-free ASEAN Community.

Under a press release published by the ASEAN Secretariat on Sept. 4, the commitment was made by the nations at the Special ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Drug Matters that took place in Bangkok , Thailand from August 30-31.

At the meeting, ASEAN officials affirmed their determination to implement “the ASEAN Declaration on Drug-Free ASEAN 2015”, which was adopted at the 20th ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in April this year.

The participants also shared information and experience as well as measures to eliminate drug production, trafficking and abuse.

They pointed out difficulties and challenges in coping with the matters and discussed cooperation plans between the countries in the future.

The participants said the countries should work together in joint trans-border investigation programmes to prevent activities relating to drugs at sea, land, and air checkpoints.

Development of trans-border investigation and cooperative programmes under the framework of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) was on the table at the meeting.

The participants also agreed that under the auspices of ASEAN Political-Security Community and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, the group’s relevant bodies should strengthen action plans, with the aim of realising the vision and goal of a drug-free ASEAN Community by 2015, as envisaged and announced at the 31 st ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in 1998.-VNA