PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Sen urged ASEAN Chiefs of National Police currently in Cambodia for the ASEANAPOL Conference, to share information experiences, strengthen ties and increase regional security to ensure that ASEAN is free of terrorism. He made this appeal while meeting with the ASEAN Chiefs of Police at the Peace Palace on Thursday morning.

Prime Minister Hun Sen expressed satisfaction over the work of the ASEAN Chiefs of National Police, and expressed his desire for all police delegation members to act as ambassadors to expand relations between ASEAN member states and boost trade between countries in the region.

The Assistant of the Prime Minister, Eang Sophalleth, told reporters after the meeting that the "Prime Minister encourages all ASEANAPOL members to increase cooperation, and in particular, to prevent any acts of terrorism, to turn ASEAN into a zero-terrorism region."

The visiting ASEAN Chiefs of National Police accepted the Prime Minister's recommendation and stated that they would individually make efforts to transform the ASEAN region into a zone of cooperation, harmony, peace and stability.

In more recent times, the problem of terrorism has increased in complexity and thus poses a greater threat to communities around the world, including the ASEAN region. The growth of the internet and social media has resulted in a wide network of global and regional groups, as well as new models of extremists. ASEAN has adopted and implemented the ASEAN Convention on Counter-Terrorism (ACCT) and the ASEAN Comprehensive Action Plan on Counter-Terrorism (ACPoA on CT) since 2013.

Cambodia assumed the rotating Chairmanship of ASEAN on 1 January 2022. On Wednesday, 2 March, the 40th ASEANAPOL Conference was held at the Sokha Residence Hotel in Phnom Penh under the theme of "Promoting Harmonization, Sustainable Peace and Stability.”