Enhancing exchanges and cooperation on drug control between China
and other countries is imperative and significant, Chinese Premier
Zhu Rongji said here Tuesday.
Zhu made the remark at a meeting with Soubanh Srithirath, minister
to the president's office of Laos, Tin Hlaing, minister of home
affairs of Myanmar, and Thamarak Issarangkura, ministers of prime
minister's office of Thailand, who are here attending the China,
Laos, Myanmar, Thailand Ministers' Meeting on Drug Control
Cooperation.
Extending congratulations to the success of the meeting, Zhu said
that China has always regarded Laos, Myanmar and Thailand as "good
neighbors and good partners", adding that China attaches great
importance to bilateral and multilateral cooperation with them and
actively explores more cooperation in various sectors.
Zhu hoped for furthering the friendship and mutual trust as well as
enhancing cooperation on drug control while joining hands to crack
down on narcotics-related crimes.
"Narcotics are the common evil of the humanity," he said, noting
that participation of the general public should be encouraged and
legal, administrative, economic and educational measures should be
introduced to address the narcotic issue. This is also the
experience China has gained in its fight against narcotic-related
crimes.
Zhu said that there have been frequent exchange of visits between
leaders of China and Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, thus forging
profound trust and friendship and promoting healthy and steady ties
with the three countries.
Currently, China has deepened exchanges and cooperation with the
three countries in such fields as politics, economy, culture and
public health, he said, stressing that China and the three
countries have supported and cooperated with each other in the
international and regional affairs, thus contributing to the peace,
stability and development of the region.
The three ministers, on their part, thanked the premier for the
meeting. They agreed that the just-concluded ministers' meeting on
drug control will promote the cooperation among the four countries
on drug control and will play a positive and effective role in
reinforcing the cooperation mechanism in the region.
(Xinhua News Agency 08/28/2001)