ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Imran Khan and his Malaysian counterpartMahathir Mohamad have agreed that the strategic partnership status is atestament to the new level of bilateral cooperation between the twocountries in various fields, and entails further engagement and enhancedcooperation.
They also reaffirmed their shared desire to continue to maintain regularhigh-level contacts, deepen friendly exchanges of visits, and expandcooperation in all fields, said a joint statement issued on the conclusionof Prime Minister Khan’s two-day official visit to Malaysia.
According to the statement issued on Wednesday, Malaysia and Pakistan wouldfurther strengthen and expand their bilateral economic, trade andinvestment ties in the traditional and non-traditional sectors, includingby leveraging on the strategic location of both countries to serve as atrade gateway to the vast market in the Southeast Asian, East Asian and theSouth Pacific regions, and the South Asian, West Asian, Central Asian andSouthern Chinese regions, respectively.
Prime Minister Imran Khan undertook his second visit to Malaysia fromFebruary 3 to 4 to strengthen the exemplary Pakistan-Malaysia strategicpartnership.
During the visit, Malaysia and Pakistan firmly stressed that the questionof Palestine, situation in Jammu and Kashmir, and the Rohingyas issueshould be resolved on the basis of the relevant United Nations SecurityCouncil (UNSC) and General Assembly (UNGA) resolutions, as well as the UNCharter and the international human rights and humanitarian law.
Prime Minister Imran Khan briefed his counterpart on the illegal andunilateral actions of the Indian government of August 5, 2019 and theensuing lockdown, communications blockade, media blackout and illegaldetentions in Jammu and Kashmir which have brought immense suffering to theKashmiri people.
He appreciated the efforts of Prime Minister Mahathir for raising awarenessregarding the situation and underscoring the imperative of peacefulresolution of the Jammu & Kashmir dispute.
The Malaysian prime minister recognised the essential role of PrimeMinister Imran Khan in ensuring peace and security in the South Asian andWest Asian regions through his goodwill diplomatic efforts towards themaintenance of international peace and security.
During their one-on-one meeting and subsequent bilateral delegationmeeting, both leaders, while recalling the historic elevation ofMalaysia-Pakistan relations to the level of strategic partnership that theyjointly formalised in Islamabad on March 22, 2019, reaffirmed the strongand enduring bonds between the two fraternal countries marked by warmth,cordiality and mutual trust.
“Both leaders held fruitful, in-depth and wide-ranging discussions onbilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest,” thestatement added.
Malaysia and Pakistan also collaborated in the heavy industry sector. Inthis regard, both leaders recalled the symbolic ground breaking of theProton Assembly Plant jointly officiated in Islamabad on March 22, 2019,and were pleased to note the progress made at the facility in Karachi,scheduled for completion in the first half of 2021.
They were further pleased with the joint venture between Malaysia’s ProtonHoldings and Pakistan’s Al-Haj Automotive that add value with thecommencement of selling Malaysian-made Proton vehicles (CBU) in Pakistan inthe second half of 2020, and eventually, assembly and sale of Pakistan-madeProton vehicles (CKD) in Pakistan in the first half of 2021.
As two peace-loving brotherly Muslim nations, both leaders agreed on thefollowing:– Malaysia and Pakistan will further increase collaborative efforts ininternational fora in upholding the true values of Islam and in addressingthe common challenges facing the Ummah, including Islamophobia and therights of Muslim minorities.
– Malaysia and Pakistan together with Turkey will proceed with theinitiatives in broad areas of strategic cooperation under the JointCommittee Meeting (JCM) to complement the efforts by the community of theMuslim world aimed at uplifting the socio-political and socio-economiccondition of the Ummah and promoting the true values of Islam, while beingmindful of the centrality of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)and in this regard.
– Malaysia and Pakistan will explore institutional collaboration in thearea of halal food and services, and consumer products, including byleveraging on their comparative advantages with a view to increase theirglobal market share in this area.
Both leaders expressed their resolve to further expand and deepen bilateralrelations at all levels and in all possible areas of cooperation, inparticular those that have been identified in the joint statement.
They agreed to pursue and fulfill the existing commitments, inter alia, toconvene the meetings of the existing bilateral mechanisms at the earliestopportunity.
It was agreed that Malaysia and Pakistan would continue to promoteparliamentary diplomacy through the exchange of visits and regular contactsbetween the members of their respective bilateral parliamentary friendshipgroups.
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Recognising the huge tourism potential in both countries, Malaysia andPakistan looked forward to strengthening bilateral cooperation in the fieldof tourism, as well as continue to encourage tourism and hospitalityinvestment in both countries.
It was further agreed that Malaysia and Pakistan would further enhanceeducational ties and, in this regard, commended the visits to Pakistan in2019 by the officials of four Malaysian universities, namely the NationalUniversity of Malaysia, University Technology PETRONAS, Asia eUniversityand Limkokwing University to explore possible cooperation with thePakistani universities.
Both leaders also agreed to consider new initiatives, including; Malaysiaand Pakistan will take stock and review the existing bilateral cooperationinstruments, with a view to updating and streamlining the relevant ones inorder to meet the current requirements and circumstances.
Malaysia and Pakistan will explore new possible areas of cooperation intrade and investment, such as renewable energy, natural resources,aerospace and aeronautical, digital technology, artificial intelligence ande-commerce.
Malaysia and Pakistan encouraged their Chambers of Commerce and Industry,in particular the respective Business Councils, to undertake the necessaryinitiatives to promote private sector-driven bilateral trade and investmentties and partnership.
In addition to its existing direct ISB/KUL/ISB sector, PakistanInternational Airlines (PIA) will be adding a new direct flight destinationsoon from Lahore to Kuala Lumpur in order to cater for the increasingnumber of Pakistani travellers to Malaysia. Malaysia Airlines will give dueconsideration to enter into a code-sharing arrangement for the existingISB/KUL/ISB sector operated by PIA, as proposed by the latter.
Relevant bodies from Pakistan will engage with Malaysian counterparts forcollaboration and experience sharing regarding successful practices andtools and techniques used in revenue collection and taxation.
Both leaders also witnessed the signing of the Treaty on Extradition, whichwill further reinforce and add substance to the strategic partnershipbetween the two countries.
They also took note that a number of draft Memoranda of Understandingconcerning investment, tourism, agriculture, skills development, and highereducation were in the process of being finalized soon.
The prime minister of Pakistan commended the Prime Minister of Malaysia onthe successful convening of the KL Summit 2019 considering the outcome ofthe Summit.
He further said that the Summit had been a success in bringing about changethrough economic collaboration.
The prime minister of Malaysia acknowledged the extensive counter-terrorismefforts by Pakistan and progress it continue to make in complying with therecommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
The prime minister of Pakistan appreciated the constructive role thatMalaysia has been playing to assist Pakistan in its efforts to improve andcontinuously taking active steps in further developing its anti-moneylaundering and terrorism financing ecosystem.
Prime Minister Mahathir commended the prime minister on the occasion of theopening of the Kartarpur Corridor (connecting the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib inPakistan to the border with India) on 9 November 2019.
The two leaders also welcomed the recent unanimous adoption of thePakistan’s initiative at the 8th Session of Conference of the StatesParties (COSP) to the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) of theResolution on “Promoting good practices in relation to the role of nationalparliaments and other legislative bodies in preventing and combatingcorruption in all its forms.”
Prime Minister Imran Khan extended an invitation to Prime Minister Mahathirto visit Pakistan who graciously accepted the invitation. The dates will bedetermined through diplomatic channels.
