A senior official from the Ministry of Interior led a delegation from the Cambodian Transnational Crime Task Force (SOMTC) to the 17th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, focused on counter-terrorism. The meetings are scheduled for August 20-23, in Labun Bajo, Indonesia.

Ministry secretary of state Sok Phal led the delegation on behalf of interior minister Sar Kheng. Por Pheak, secretary-general of the ministry’s General Secretariat and chairman of the SOMTC, along with the deputy chairman of the SOMTC-Cambodia Working Group and other pertinent officials, were also in attendance.

On the topic of transnational crime, minister Sar Kheng vocalised his unwavering commitment to closely collaborate with ASEAN nations in combating these illicit activities. His dedication was evident during the 15th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime, held virtually and chaired by Brunei from September 28 to 30, 2021.

"Cambodia is dedicated to working in close partnership with all ASEAN member states to tackle transnational crime in all its forms. We aim to harness all available resources by implementing national, bilateral, multilateral and regional strategies. This is to cultivate a formidable joint force capable of confronting the challenges and menaces of transnational crime,” he said.

He urged ASEAN to persevere in bolstering unity and mutual support. He underscored the pressing need to address non-traditional crimes, noting that these are "consistently on the rise" and present a significant risk to both national and regional security.