Bandar Seri Begawan - The Special Asean Ministerial Meeting on Drug Matters was held in Bangkok, Thailand yesterday, attended by Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Awg Hj Mohammad Yasmin bin Hj Umar, the Minister of Energy at the Prime Minister's Office, who was accompanied by Hj Abdul Aziz Orang Kaya Maha Bijaya Hj Othman, Director of Narcotics Control Bureau, and other senior government officials. It was chaired by Police General Pracha Promnog, the Minister of Justice of Thailand.

The meeting recalled the Asean Leaders' Declaration on Drug-Free Asean 2015 adopted at the 20th Asean Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where leaders have declared to intensify concerted efforts to realise the vision and goal of drug-free Asean by 2015 as high-priority agenda of Asean by tasking relevant Ministers to speed up implementation of the Asean Work Plan on Combating Illicit Drug Production, Trafficking and Use 2009-2015 and the Roadmap for an Asean Community (2009 to 2015) on drug-free Asean by 2015.

Building upon the momentum of the Asean Leaders' Declaration on Drug-Free Asean by 2015 and the concern of those emerging trend of illicit drug trafficking, production and use, the Meeting has come up recommendations concerning the translation of the elements contained in the aforementioned Asean Leaders' Declaration into action-lines to be taken into account of implementation by Asean national drug control focal points, relevant Asean sectoral bodies under the Asean Political-Security Council and the Asean Socio-Cultural Council as well as concerned agencies of the Asean Member States.

Pehin Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Awg Hj Mohammad Yasmin, the Minister of Energy at the Prime Minister's Office highlighted in his statement, that this Special Meeting call for the region's reaffirmation of commitment to reduce and eradicate the production, processing, trafficking and use of illicit drugs represented a significant milestone in Asean's history and Brunei Darussalam adheres to these commitments.