Putrajaya, Malaysia:
The leaders of Pakistan and Malaysia resolved on Monday to reignite bilateral cooperation and adopt a “more aggressive and forward-looking policy,” including exploring avenues for collaboration under the strategic ASEAN economic bloc umbrella.
The renewed commitment followed a series of productive meetings between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his Malaysian counterpart, Anwar Ibrahim. During his three-day official visit, PM Sharif finalized six accords and multiple trade and bilateral agreements on Monday.
Host PM Ibrahim noted that despite their long-standing ties, relations had become “somewhat stagnated,” necessitating a renewed, practical approach anchored in clear policies. He emphasized that modern cooperation must be grounded in economic pragmatism. “We have realised that dependency on one country, one system, will be futile. We need, therefore, to expand trade relations,” he stated, adding that they will work for a strong ASEAN in terms of trade and investments.
Deepening Defence, Aviation, and Health Cooperation
Both nations agreed to further strengthen cooperation across defence, aviation, public health, and cybersecurity as part of ongoing efforts to deepen bilateral ties.
- Defence Collaboration: A joint statement expressed satisfaction with the ongoing defence collaboration under the Joint Committee on Defence Cooperation (JCDC). Both sides agreed to further deepen cooperation in defence science, technology, and industry through knowledge and technology transfer.
- Connectivity: Recognizing the importance of aviation, both leaders agreed to enhance air travel services and explore opportunities for increased connectivity to strengthen economic, business, and tourism ties.
- Healthcare: Anwar and Shehbaz also agreed to explore collaboration in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices with the aim of enhancing public health and commercial exchanges.
The leaders also underscored the critical importance of regional cooperation in disaster management and committed to enhancing the exchange of knowledge and best practices in humanitarian assistance and post-disaster recovery.
Alignment on Regional Security and Accords Signed
The leaders held detailed discussions on major regional and international developments, including the situation in the Middle East. The Malaysian Prime Minister praised Pakistan’s constructive role in ongoing peace efforts concerning Palestine, including support for US President Donald Trump’s recent initiative for Gaza.
- ASEAN Support: PM Shehbaz congratulated PM Ibrahim on Malaysia becoming the chair of ASEAN and secured a reaffirmation of Malaysia’s support for Pakistan’s bid to become a Full Dialogue Partner of the bloc.
- Security & Cybercrime: Both countries committed to enhancing cooperation in cybersecurity and efforts in combating trans-national organised crimes, terrorism, terror financing, as well as cybercrime.
Officials exchanged several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) covering different sectors, including diplomatic training, cooperation in higher education, tourism promotion, and an agreement to expand cooperation in combating and preventing corruption.
