ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Malaysia have agreed to enhance their engagement and establish new areas of collaboration, according to a joint statement released by the two countries following their second round of Bilateral Political Consultations.
The talks, held on Tuesday in Kuala Lumpur, were co-chaired by Additional Foreign Secretary (Asia and Pacific), Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, and Dato’ Norman Bin Muhamad, Deputy Secretary-General (Bilateral Affairs) of Malaysia.
During the discussions, both sides renewed their commitment to strengthening the strategic partnership between Pakistan and Malaysia.
The two countries have agreed to increase cooperation in various domains, including bilateral trade and investment, defence and security, agriculture and food security, energy, health, education, and science and technology.
The joint statement also highlighted the importance of parliamentary exchanges and people-to-people contacts to encourage further engagement between the two countries. In addition, the hiring of additional Pakistani manpower to Malaysia was agreed upon.
Pakistan and Malaysia also discussed a range of regional and global issues of mutual interest, such as regional peace and security, Islamophobia, and climate change. Both sides reiterated their interest in close cooperation at multilateral platforms, including the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OUC) and the United Nations.
Pakistan expressed its desire for enhanced engagement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), leading to a full-dialogue partnership. Baloch also conveyed Pakistan’s gratitude to Malaysia for its generous support and humanitarian assistance for flood-hit people in Pakistan.
