Need For Joint Efforts To Combat Human Trafficking - Envoy

By Nabilah Saleh & Balqis Jamaludin KUALA LUMPUR, June 11 (Bernama) -- All parties involved in tackling human trafficking should join forces to eliminate the scourge before it morphs into the issue of refugees, says Russian Ambassador to Malaysia, Valery Yermolov (pix). He said the issue, which he defined as "urgent and dangerous" to any nation, should be addressed at all levels in all possible ways. "In this regard, we believe the Malaysian authorities have handled (to date) the issue in a very proper way. "However, it is necesssary to get all parties involved to stop this criminal activity before it leads to the second 'connected issue' to human trafficking - refugees," he added. Yermolov was speaking to Bernama in an interview in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of Russia's National Day here Wednesday. He said as the issue of refugees was even more complicated, there was an urgent need to solve the issue of human trafficking. "It's about human lives in which this group of people (victims of human trafficking) is trying hard to secure a better life, job and many more. Thus, this issue is necessary to be solved as soon as possible," he noted. On another note, Yermolov said Russia highly acknowledged Malaysia's significant role as member of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, East Asia Summit, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and others. He said it was important that Russia and Malaysia's position towards a vast majority of topical issues of the global agenda were similar or concurring ones. The Russian National Day, known as 'Russia Day', is celebrated every June 12 since 1992. On June 12, 1990, Soviet leaders signed a declaration of Russia's state sovereignty.(photoBernama) -- BERNAMA