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Law ministers

gathering in

Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: Law ministers and other top law officials from 40 member countries will attend the six-day Commonwealth Law Ministers meeting to be held here beginning on Monday.

Topics expected to be discussed include mutual assistance in combating crime, money laundering and intellectual property rights, the national Bernama news agency reported.

Some 150 delegates from countries including Australia, Britain, India, Kenya, Singapore and South Africa will participate in the meetings from April 15 to 20.

"The meeting will provide an opportunity for law ministers to exchange views and experiences regarding the development of the judicial and legal system in their respective countries as well as on the latest developments in the legal field," Bernama quoted Minister in Malaysia Prime Minister's Department Abang Abu Bakar Abang Mustapha as saying this week.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku said on arriving for the conference that suspended member Nigeria had refused to allow a Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group to visit the country.

The Ministerial Action Group was set up by the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in New Zealand last year after Nigeria was suspended for executing environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other minority rights activists.-Reuter