The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government and Vietnam on Tuesday signed an agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters.

Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung and Deputy Prosecutor General of the Supreme People's Procuracy of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam Tran Hai Quan signed the agreement, which enhances legal cooperation in bringing criminals to justice, according to an HKSAR government statement.

"Hong Kong has been sparing no effort in strengthening its international law enforcement capabilities by expanding its network of bilateral arrangements with foreign jurisdictions concerning mutual legal assistance in criminal matters,” Tang was quoted as saying in the statement.

“The signing of the agreement on MLA today represents an important step forward in legal co-operation between Hong Kong and Vietnam," he added.

The agreement covers cooperation in identifying and locating persons, serving documents, taking evidence, executing requests for search and seizure, providing information, confiscating proceeds of crime, and other forms of mutual assistance.