RF interior minister proposes to resume RF-China anti-crime joint group.

BEIJING, December 17 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian Interior Minister Rashid
Nurgaliyev on Friday suggested Russia's Interior Ministry and China's
Ministry of Public Security should resume the work of a joint group on
suppressing transnational crime.
Nurgaliyev said the issue was vital for further cooperation between
law enforcement agencies of the two countries. "The group has already
proved its efficiency," Nurgaliyev said at a meeting with Chinese Minister
of Public Security Meng Jianzhu. "I suggest that an expert meeting in this
format should be scheduled to be held in Moscow early next year."
He said it was vital to resume the group's activity in the context of
growing economic crimes. "There are numerous facts testifying to the
existence of international criminal communities involving Russian and
Chinese citizens that specialize in illegal wood-felling and smuggling of
goods," the Russian minister said.
He also spoke about the group's role "in neutralizing negative
processes." Thus, he said, "its competence might be extended to
suppressing various types of crimes, such as illegal drug trafficking."
The joint group already had two meetings, the last one being held on
June 25 through 29, 2007 in Beijing. The next meeting was to be held in
Russia but since January 2010, the Chinese side has offered no reply to
the invitation.
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