WASHINGTON, DC -- The State Department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism and Countering Violent Extremism, in partnership with the Department of Justice’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development Assistance and Training and the National Counterterrorism Center, conducted a regional workshop for counterterrorism practitioners from Southeast Asia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on October 3-4.

The workshop emphasized regional cooperation to support our partners as they coordinate and continue to address the terrorist threat in Southeast Asia. Participants included investigators, prosecutors, police commissioners, border security officials, nongovernmental organizations, and policy makers who shared expertise on border security, law enforcement, counterterrorism finance measures, and methods to prevent terrorism and counter radicalization to violence and terrorist recruitment. Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand participated in the Southeast Asia regional workshop, and were joined by global partners Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. The participants agreed on concrete steps to tighten regional cooperation and build capabilities to defeat ISIS and the flow of foreign terrorist fighters returning from Iraq and Syria.