The Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) and the Republic of Kazakhstan signed three agreements on criminal justice cooperation, establishing a clear and efficient mechanism for collaboration, while strengthening efforts to hold offenders accountable and combat cross-border crime.

The Secretary for Administration and Justice, Mr Wong Sio Chak, and the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Mr Berik Assylov, signed the three agreements on criminal justice cooperation on Wednesday (20 May) at the Government Headquarters in Macao.

The agreements are: the Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters; the Agreement on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons; and the Agreement on the Surrender of Fugitive Offenders.

Kazakhstan is the birthplace of the “Belt and Road” initiative. The signing of these three agreements marks a milestone in the cooperation between Macao and Kazakhstan. It not only signifies a new stage in bilateral relations, but also represents a significant achievement for the MSAR in the field of international judicial assistance.

The agreements cover core instruments in criminal justice cooperation. Their entry into force will establish a clear and efficient mechanism for collaboration between Macao and Kazakhstan. This will enhance cooperation in areas such as asset recovery, fugitive repatriation, investigation, and evidence collection, thereby strengthening efforts to hold offenders accountable and combat cross-border crime. It will also provide stronger legal safeguards for economic, trade, and people-to-people exchanges between the two sides.

Also, the agreements allow sentenced persons to serve their sentences in their home jurisdictions, supporting their rehabilitation and reintegration into society, reflecting the humanitarian spirit of the rule of law.

Representatives from the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan attending the signing ceremony in Macao included: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to China, Mr Shakhrat Nuryshev; Head of the Department of International Cooperation of the Prosecutor General’s Office, Mr Aibek Nurakhmetov; Prosecutor Mr Baurzhan Zhumakanov; and the Consul General in Hong Kong SAR, Mr Bauyrzhan Dosmanbetov.

Representatives from the MSAR Government present at the ceremony included: the Chief of Office of the Office of the Secretary for Administration and Justice, Mr Chang Cheong; Acting Director of the Legal Affairs Bureau, Mr Ng Chi Kin; Adviser to the Office of the President of the Court of Final Appeal, Mr Xu Huan; Adviser to the Office of the Secretary for Security, Mr Choi Kuan Wa; and Adviser to the Office of the Prosecutor General, Ms Chan Ka Ian.