VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Minister of Law and Human Rights Yasonna Laoly said the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters (MLA) Bill would make legal cooperation between Indonesia and Russia easier.

"We think that this is important for us to do in the midst of the advancement of the international world and technology that makes the world easier to connect," Laoly remarked here Monday.

The MLA Bill has officially been signed by the House of Representatives (DPR) and the executive and has been approved to be brought before the DPR plenary meeting, he informed.

As a result of increased global connectivity due to technological advances, the types of crimes have also grown to include cybercrime, terrorism financing, money laundering, among others, Laoly noted.

Therefore, the MLA Bill would strengthen legal cooperation between Russia and Indonesia in preventing international crimes, he observed. Notes on state sovereignty are essential for all parties, he added.

"We, on behalf of the President, convey that we are ready to continue the stages of ratifying this agreement at the plenary meeting at level II determined by the DPR," the minister said.

During a working meeting with the DPR, all factions in Commission III of the DPR approved the entire text of the MLA Bill between Indonesia and Russia, he informed.

If the MLA Bill is approved and passed into law, cooperation in preventing and eradicating criminal acts, especially transnational ones, can become effective, Laoly said.

Transnational crimes that can be prevented through the ratification of the bill include narcotics, corruption, taxation, terrorism, and money laundering, he noted. With this agreement, the relationship and cooperation between the two countries in the field of law enforcement will further improve, he added.

This is also in line with the goals of the Indonesian state as enshrined in the preamble to the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, the minister said. (Antaranews)