PUPUTRAJAYA: Malaysia has pledged its support for Japan's initiative to co-chair a ministerial meeting on the Conference on Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development (CEAPAD), scheduled for July.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the conference is significant as it focuses on the reconstruction of Gaza and Palestine.
"We have agreed to support Japan's initiative to co-chair this ministerial meeting. The Conference on Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development is essentially the issue of reconstruction of Gaza and Palestine.
"(And) it is very meaningful to us in Malaysia, and I'm sure many countries, including Muslims throughout the world," he said during a joint press conference with his Japanese counterpart, Shigeru Ishiba.
CEAPAD is a regional conference initiated by Japan in 2013 to support Palestinian state-building efforts by drawing on the resources, knowledge, and experiences of East Asian countries' economic development.
Anwar added that Malaysia will support the Asean Secretariat's (ASEC) initiative to consult with Asean colleagues to organise the meeting in Kuala Lumpur during the Asean Summit, if agreed upon.
Meanwhile, Ishiba said both countries are keen to cooperate in many areas on the international stage, with both nations sharing a convergence of views.
The issues discussed included the East China Sea, the South China Sea, the Middle East, and the situation in Myanmar.
"We had a frank exchange of views and agreed that we must communicate closely," Ishiba added.
He also recognised Malaysia as a major country with a large Muslim population, describing it as a bridge between Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
"With regards to the Middle East, including the situation in Gaza, and leveraging East Asia's knowledge towards the region's economic independence, we agreed to cooperate for regional peace and stability."
The Israel-Gaza conflict, which flared up again in 2023, has resulted in significant loss of life, particularly among Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
Malaysia, alongside Japan, has voiced its concerns about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and has pushed for an immediate ceasefire and a two-state solution to ensure lasting peace.