The first Meeting of ASEAN Chiefs of Security Agencies (MACOSA) opened in Hanoi on Sept. 29 in the wake of emerging major threats to the region such as territorial disputes and terrorism.

Lieut. Gen. Bui Van Nam, Vietnam ’s Deputy Minister of Public Security, said at the opening session that MACOSA aimed to establish an official channel of cooperation on security among member states, which would mark a step forward in a roadmap towards the foundation of an ASEAN political-security community by 2015.

Security is one of three major pillars to build a peaceful and prosperous ASEAN community, which includes economic and social-cultural communities.

The initiative on MACOSA was raised by the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security at a point when Vietnam holds the presidency of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for the first time.

ASEAN is facing major threats to regional security, including climate change, natural calamities, epidemics and environmental pollution, apart from disputes in sovereignty and territory, both land and water.

The Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security is working hard with counterparts from other members in working out a mechanism of cooperation at the top level. The mechanism will focus on four areas, including exchange of information on regional security related to member nations, safeguarding of very important persons and key targets and cooperation in human resource development for national defence.

The potential mechanism is also designed to support activities of the Senior Officials’ Meeting on Trans-national Crime (SOMTC) and the ASEAN Chiefs of Police Conference (ASEANAPOL), all aimed at ensuring peace, solidarity, equality, democracy and cooperation for all individual members and the entire grouping as a whole.

ASEAN includes Brunei , Cambodia , Indonesia , Laos , Malaysia , Myanmar , the Philippines , Singapore , Thailand and Vietnam./.