KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (pic) stressed that Malaysia strongly condemns the military attacks against Iran and rejects any unilateral action that contravenes international law.
He said he conveyed this during a telephone conversation with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, reiterating Malaysia’s call for an immediate ceasefire, the protection of civilians and a resolution through diplomatic channels.
“During a telephone conversation with my counterpart from New Zealand, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, we exchanged views on developments in West Asia and their impact on global security and the economy,” Anwar said in a Facebook post yesterday.
The two leaders also discussed the impact of the Iran-Israel conflict on New Zealand’s energy sector, including rising fuel prices and pressure on the domestic economy.
The Prime Minister also welcomed proactive measures taken by the New Zealand government to strengthen energy security and accelerate the transition to renewable energy.
“At the same time, we reaffirmed our commitment to continue strengthening bilateral relations under the framework of the Strategic Partnership, including in trade, investment and energy cooperation. We will remain in close contact in addressing current challenges for our mutual benefit,” he added.
Meanwhile, Anwar said Malaysia supports Indonesia’s diplomatic efforts to help resolve the Iran-Israel conflict, aimed at easing tensions and protecting civilian lives.
He said such support for Jakarta’s initiative is expected to help open the door to meaningful negotiations towards a peaceful and lasting solution in West Asia.
Anwar said the matter was among the issues discussed during his telephone conversation with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Monday.
“We both called for peace and I informed President Prabowo that Malaysia supports all efforts aimed at achieving peace and resolving the conflict,” he said, Bernama reported.
Besides regional and international issues, Anwar said he and Prabowo also agreed to meet soon to further strengthen existing close bilateral relations.
“We agreed to arrange a meeting in the near future, including my proposal to visit Jakarta as part of efforts to enhance our close bilateral ties,” he added.
On a separate matter, Anwar said that Malaysia and Japan have expressed commitment to strengthen bilateral relations under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) to ensure peace, stability and prosperity at the regional and global levels.
He said the matter was discussed during a telephone conversation with his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi, which also touched on various developments in cooperation across priority areas for both countries.
Anwar said both leaders appreciated and held in high regard the progress of the close ties established since 1957, which were now further reinforced through the CSP.
“We discussed progress in cooperation in key areas, including peace and security, the economy, as well as science, technology and innovation,” he said.
Anwar said he also shared Malaysia’s position on the situation in West Asia, stressing the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire, protection of civilians and the resolution of conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy in line with international law.
“We agreed to continue strengthening bilateral cooperation and to play a constructive role in ensuring regional and global peace, stability and prosperity,” he said.
