PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia has pledged its full support for Japan’s initiative to co-chair a ministerial meeting on Palestinian development scheduled for July, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The Prime minister said the conference, which aims to enhance cooperation among East Asian countries, will focus on the reconstruction of Gaza and Palestine.
Anwar emphasised Malaysia’s strong commitment to the initiative during a joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba here on Friday (Jan 10).
“On regional issues, we have agreed to support Japan’s initiative to co-chair a ministerial meeting in July, a conference on cooperation among East Asian countries for Palestinian development.
“It is essentially focused on the reconstruction of Gaza and Palestine, which is very meaningful to us in Malaysia and, I am sure, to many countries, including Muslims throughout the world,” Anwar said at the Perdana Putra building here.
He described the initiative as a significant step in addressing the pressing challenges faced by the Palestinian people and reaffirmed Malaysia’s dedication to contributing to the cause.
During the joint media conference, Ishiba underscored Malaysia’s strategic importance in fostering peace and stability in the Middle East.
“In particular, Malaysia is a major country with a large number of Muslims, and the country serves as a bridge spanning South-East Asia and the Middle East.
“Regarding the Middle East situation, including the situation in Gaza and leveraging the knowledge of East Asia toward the economic independence of the region, we agreed that we would cooperate for regional peace and stability,” said Ishiba.
Both leaders were optimistic that the upcoming conference would serve as a platform to galvanise international efforts towards sustainable development and peace in the Palestinian territories.
