The Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) and Mongolia have signed an agreement on mutual assistance in matters of criminal law, in order to enhance judicial cooperation between the two sides.

The agreement was signed jointly on Wednesday (26 June) in Ulaanbaatar, capital of Mongolia, by the Secretary for Administration and Justice of the Macao SAR Government, Ms Chan Hoi Fan, and the Minister of Justice and Internal Affairs of Mongolia, Mr Tsendiin Nyamdorj.

Areas of cooperation covered in the agreement included: transfer of judicial documents, investigation findings and evidence; search for and seizure of objects and documents; and confiscation of the tools and proceeds of crime.

Macao and Mongolia started in 2014 having talks regarding mutual assistance in matters of criminal law and had signed a draft agreement in May 2017.

The latest agreement is a further step to fostering reciprocal ties, following the signing in 2017 of an agreement on the transfer of sentenced persons.

While Macao officials were in Mongolia, the two sides held meetings to discuss further technical issues regarding an anticipated agreement on legal and judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters. A draft version was signed following consensus achieved as a result of the meetings.

Under the Basic Law of Macao, with the assistance and authorisation of the Central People’s Government, the SAR may make appropriate arrangements with foreign states for reciprocal judicial assistance.

A delegation from the SAR Government paid a five-day visit to Mongolia from 24 to 28 June. Its members met with the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Mongolia, Mr Xing Haiming; as well as with officials from the General Prosecutor's Office of Mongolia. The delegation also visited the University of Internal Affairs of Mongolia.