Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto emphasized the importance of international cooperation in tackling transnational crimes, including narcotics, during a meeting with Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Malaysia.
He invited Laos to jointly address global threats such as human trafficking and drug trafficking.
“I believe that if we work together, it will be highly beneficial for both countries,” said Prabowo.
The President also expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome during his previous visit to Laos prior to taking office and conveyed his appreciation for Laos’ leadership in ASEAN.
In the discussion, Prabowo reiterated Indonesia’s commitment to supporting regional cooperation under Malaysia’s chairmanship and to strengthening bilateral relations with Laos, including increasing trade volume and cooperation in agriculture, fertilizers, and minerals.
Beyond Southeast Asia, Indonesia is also enhancing international relations in narcotics control with countries in Latin America.
The Head of the National Narcotics Board (BNN) of Indonesia, Commissioner General Marthinus Hukom, received a visit from the Ecuadorian Ambassador to Indonesia, Luis Arellano Jibaja, in Jakarta.
During the meeting, Marthinus stressed that drug trafficking is becoming increasingly complex and requires a strong global response.
“This visit is a strategic opportunity to strengthen information exchange, improve detection technology, and build the capacity of law enforcement officers,” he emphasized.
Indonesia and Ecuador have been cooperating in the fight against narcotics since 2022.
BNN’s Deputy for Legal Affairs and Cooperation, Agus Irianto, explained that the partnership began with a visit by BNN to Ecuador to sign a Letter of Intent (LoI) with the Ecuadorian Ministry of Interior.
The agreement includes joint training, data sharing, legal assistance, and observation visits to port and airport facilities.
The drafting of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) as a follow-up to the LoI was completed in September 2023, but its signing was delayed due to the situation in Ecuador.
In early 2024, the Head of BNN met again with Ecuadorian diplomatic representatives to finalize the MoU.
In the most recent meeting, BNN expressed its hope that the cooperation document can be signed soon to further strengthen bilateral synergy in combating narcotics.
