Malaysia, New Zealand Reaffirm Commitment To Regional Cooperation Under FDPA

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 2 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and New Zealand have reaffirmed their commitment to regional cooperation under the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA).

In fact, the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s new P-8A Poseidon aircraft will continue the long-running practice of New Zealand maritime patrol aircraft deploying to the Royal Malaysia Air Force Base Butterworth as part of the upcoming FPDA exercise, Bersama Lima.

This was stated in the joint statement issued following a joint press conference between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today.

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Luxon is on a three-day visit to Malaysia from Sept 1 to 3 for bilateral discussions and collaboration. This is his first visit to the country since taking office in November 2023.

“The Prime Ministers recognised the FPDA as a longstanding defence commitment that remains relevant to the strategic interests of both nations,” the statement read.

Anwar and Luxon also valued ongoing close cooperation on countering terrorism, preventing violent extremism, and combating transnational organized crime, including through capacity building and two-way exchanges of experts.

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They welcomed a new bilateral cooperation arrangement that would underpin this engagement and have directed officials to continue exploring opportunities for New Zealand and Malaysia to work together on strengthening social cohesion, the statement said.

Anwar and Luxon noted Malaysia and New Zealand’s long-standing defence relationship, dating back to the Second World War, and both confirmed that the two countries would also maintain regular bilateral defence cooperation.

“They welcomed the work by each country’s Ministry of Defence to update the 1996 bilateral Arrangements on Defence Cooperation, as well as the agreement to explore holding a Track 1.5 Defence Dialogue,” the statement read.

-- BERNAMA