JOHANNESBURG: Egypt has invited Malaysia to co-organise an international conference on early recovery and reconstruction in Gaza, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said the invitation, from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, was conveyed by Prime Minister Mostafa Kamal Madbouly on the sidelines of the G20 Summit.
“Egypt has asked Malaysia to consider its proposal for both countries to jointly organise the conference.
“I have asked the Foreign Ministry to obtain further details from their Egyptian counterparts before deciding,” he told Malaysian media at the end of his working visit to South Africa, which included attending the G20 Summit.
Asked why Egypt approached Malaysia, Anwar said it was likely due to Malaysia’s consistent and firm stance on Gaza and Palestine.
During the G20 Summit, Madbouly informed leaders that Egypt is ready to host an international conference on Gaza’s early recovery and reconstruction.
Anwar also held brief discussions with several leaders on the sidelines, including Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, where they spoke about strengthening bilateral ties and Anwar’s long-pending visit to Turkiye.
“I also had a quick chat with Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who was pleased with PETRONAS’ performance there and asked whether its role could be expanded,” he said.
Anwar added that he and Vietnam’s Prime Minister, Pham Minh Chinh, discussed expediting the Asean Power Grid initiative, which will run through Vietnam, Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore.
“I also exchanged views with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We reaffirmed our commitment to deepening cooperation in economics, trade, education and new technologies.
“Moving forward, Malaysia and India will continue working together to build strategic partnerships. With confidence and mutual respect, we can help boost the region’s potential as a new area of growth,” he said.
