ASEANAPOL Secretariat's courtesy Visit to Italian Ambassador H.E. Massimo Rustico

On April 17, 2023, the ASEANAPOL Secretariat paid a visit to His Excellency Massimo Rustico, Ambassador of Italy to Malaysia, and Ms. Clara Cualbu, Deputy Head of Mission, at his residence in Kuala Lumpur.

Led by the Executive Director of ASEANAPOL Secretariat, Police Colonel David Martinez Vinluan, the delegation included Police Senior Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Huu Ngoc, Director for Plans & Programmes, Deputy Superintendent of Police Suresh Subramaniam, DSP for Plans and Programmes, Deputy Superintendent of Police Chan Yew Hiok, Police Services Officer 1, and Assistant Superintendent Nithia Perumal, Police Services Officer II. They were warmly welcomed by His Excellency.

The visit commenced with a brief presentation of each organization's mandate and potential areas for cooperation, focusing on terrorism, syndicated organized crime, and capacity-building training initiatives. Both parties underscored the importance of effective and efficient training courses tailored to the needs of ASEANAPOL Member Countries.

The Executive Director expressed sincere gratitude to the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) and the Italian Department of Public Security (DPS) of the Ministry of Interior (MoI) for their steadfast support to the ASEANAPOL Secretariat. He also highlighted ten core areas of transnational organized crime identified as top priorities for ASEANAPOL.

His Excellency outlined four main agenda items outlined in the partnership agreement signed by the Italian Chief of Police and the Executive Director of ASEANAPOL in June 2021. These include exploring the involvement of Italian law enforcement experts in educational and training activities, identifying the training needs of ASEANAPOL and its Member States, and implementing joint activities between the ASEANAPOL Secretariat and the Department of Public Se curity, Ministry of Interior.

The visit yielded productive discussions, paving the way for enhanced collaboration between the two parties in the future. Both sides look forward to a strengthened working relationship in the days ahead.

“Together We Keep This Region Safe”