JOHOR BARU: Malaysia's peacekeeping troops in Lebanon will remain under the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) mission until its mandate expires later this year, says Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
The Foreign Minister said discussions had been held at the United Nations (UN) on the security situation involving the Malaysian Battalion (Malbatt), with troop-contributing countries agreeing to maintain their contingents until the current mandate ends in November.
"The issue of Malbatt has been discussed at the UN, and member countries have agreed to keep their troops there until the mandate expires.
"There are only a few months remaining, but any decision will also depend on the Defence Ministry.
"Whatever decision is made by the Defence Ministry will be brought to the Cabinet, and if approved, the Foreign Ministry will take the necessary follow-up action," he told reporters after meeting Tiram voters at a restaurant on Monday (July 6).
Mohamad stressed that the safety of Malaysian personnel remained the government's top priority.
"At the moment, our Malbatt personnel are stationed behind the frontline, not at the border. Other forces are deployed in front.
"For now, there is no longer any need for our personnel to conduct patrols. So, they have been instructed to remain in their bunkers and camps because their safety is our main concern," he said.
Meanwhile, Mohamad said Malaysia would host Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul this week for the annual Malaysia-Thailand leaders' dialogue.
He said the meeting would focus on several outstanding bilateral issues, particularly trade, logistics and border management.
"There are many matters that still need to be discussed, especially trade, as there are several logistical issues that need to be aligned.
"The foundation of trade is logistics. If the logistics are not properly coordinated, it will hamper trade between our two countries," he said.
Mohamad said both countries would also discuss the remaining demarcation of their land border.
He added that strengthening border security remained a priority, particularly to curb smuggling activities through illegal routes.
"Various agencies, including the police, the military and the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS), are manning the border.
"We are looking at how these agencies can better coordinate their roles to ensure our borders remain secure," he said.
It was previously reported that the Thai Prime Minister is expected to visit Malaysia on July 9 and 10 for talks with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The visit reportedly comes after Malaysia suspended imports of Thai shrimp on June 1, a move that has affected bilateral trade and raised concerns among shrimp producers.
