US Committed to Strengthen Defence Ties with Malaysia – Khaled Nordin
KUALA LUMPUR: The United States (US) is committed to further strengthening close relations with Malaysia, including in the defence sector, said Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
The Defence Minister said this matter was among those touched upon by US Ambassador to ASEAN, Kevin Kim, during a courtesy call in conjunction with the 37th Annual Conference on Military Law and Operations (MILOPS) which took place in the capital today.
“The US will always give attention to enhancing and further strengthening the close relations between the two countries, including in the defence sector,” he told reporters after receiving the courtesy call.
He said the meeting was more focused on efforts to strengthen existing relations and did not involve discussions on policy matters.
Besides Kevin, Mohamed Khaled also received courtesy calls from ASEAN Secretary‑General, Dr Kao Kim Hourn, and Singapore’s Permanent Secretary for Defence, Joseph Leong.
Commenting on his meeting with Kim Hourn, he said both sides exchanged views on the challenges faced by ASEAN as well as efforts to strengthen the defence sector’s contribution in maintaining the principle of ASEAN Centrality, peace, stability and prosperity in the region.
He said they also agreed that the defence sector has an important role in supporting ASEAN’s goals and strengthening cooperation among member states.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Khaled said Joseph, who was newly appointed as Singapore’s Permanent Secretary for Defence, expressed commitment to continue strengthening cooperation with Malaysia.
He said the cooperation not only involves bilateral relations but also encompasses multilateral cooperation at the ASEAN level as well as through the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA).
The 37th Annual MILOPS Conference is taking place in Kuala Lumpur from today until 6 August, bringing together government officials and military representatives from more than 30 countries to discuss regional security challenges and strengthen cooperation in legal and military operations aspects.
BERNAMA