Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha urged Asean members on Wednesday to maintain a good balance between promoting cross-border trade and suppressing transnational crime, which he said holds the key to meeting the region's sustainable development goals.
He made the remark during a speech at Wednesday's opening of the "High Level Regional Conference: Synchronising Trade and Security Plans in Support of Asean 2025" at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok.
"Transnational crimes continue to rise due in part to the advancing technology and connectivity of transport systems in the region," he said.
He said that without proper measures to prevent and suppress such crimes, the problem will likely become more complicated and have a severe impact on the region, he said.
With a plan to seamlessly connect Asean, the region also runs a greater risk of its border areas becoming more vulnerable to being exploited by transnational gangs looking to expand their criminal bases, he said.
Asean members should join hands to prevent and combat the growing threat of foreign crimes to their national security, he said.
A regional framework on joint border management is critically needed to protect the entire region from the threat of transnational crime while at the same time ensuring regional trade and investment run smoothly and safely, he said.
People should feel confident they can travel more freely and safely within the region, he said.
Gen Prayut said he expected the meeting would serve as a beneficial forum for sharing opinions.
Asean was also encouraged to step up information sharing with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to aid its fight against transnational criminal activity, he said.
Among the outcomes expected from the meeting was a more systematic approach for Asean countries to jointly secure their border areas, he said.
The outcome will be presented at future Asean forums for further discussion, he added.
The meeting served as a healthy exchange of opinions on how Asean can better manage its borders and set up a formal mechanisms to handle the matter, he noted.