KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia and Thailand have reiterated their commitment to strengthening defence relations and exploring new areas of cooperation, including through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to elevate bilateral defence ties.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday (Jan 29), Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin expressed Malaysia’s appreciation for Thailand’s continued support in advancing defence cooperation between the two countries.
"Malaysia acknowledges that platforms such as the General Border Committee Malaysia-Thailand (GBC MALTHAI) Meeting, which is now in its 56th edition, are valuable efforts in enhancing border security, facilitating joint operations, promoting socio-economic development and coordinating disaster management efforts.
"Malaysia and Thailand share a strong diplomatic relationship, both bilaterally and through platforms like Asean," he posted.
On Tuesday, Mohamed Khaled arrived in Bangkok for a three-day official visit to further strengthen border cooperation between the two nations and paid a courtesy call to Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, at the Thai Ministry of Defense.
The minister said that Malaysia’s Defense Ministry and the Armed Forces looked forward to further strengthening collaboration with the Royal Thai Armed Forces.
He also expressed hope that Thailand would benefit from the Malaysian Defence Cooperation Programme (MDCP), which focuses on capacity building and boosting defence diplomacy between the two countries.
Additionally, Mohamed Khaled extended an invitation to Phumtham to attend the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2025 (LIMA ’25) and two significant events under Malaysia’s Asean Chairmanship this year, namely the Asean Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) Retreat and the ADMM Meeting.
Meanwhile, in a statement, the Defence ministry announced that the main agenda of the visit was to attend the 56th GBC MALTHAI Meeting, which took place on Wednesday.
The statement noted that the committee was established following the signing of the General Border Agreement in 1964 and serves as the primary platform for managing border cooperation between the two countries.
"Three key committees operate under the GBC structure namely the High-Level Committee (HLC), the Regional Border Committee (RBC) and the Thailand-Malaysia Joint Combined Training Committee (THAMAL JCEC).
"During the GBC MALTHAI Meeting, both ministers expressed satisfaction with the progress made by the committees under the GBC framework, particularly in strengthening cooperation between the Malaysian Armed Forces and the Royal Thai Armed Forces in addressing border security challenges," the statement said. - Bernama
