This is an important result of the visit of French Defense Minister Sebastian Lecornu to Malaysia on December 8.
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| French Defense Minister Sebastian Lecornu (left) signs the guestbook with his host counterpart Mohamad Hasan in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on December 8. (Source: Malaysia World News) |
After the official visit of the French Defense Minister to Malaysia on December 8, the two sides issued a statement on the results of the visit.
According to the Malaysian Ministry of Defence, Minister Mohamad Hasan and his French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu Lecornu had a fruitful discussion, exchanging views on the current strategic environment. The two sides committed to working together to address regional and international issues of mutual concern, reaffirmed the central role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and welcomed the presence of France as an observer in the framework of the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM+).
The statement said the two sides stressed the importance of working together to maintain the South China Sea as a sea of peace, stability and freedom of navigation through peaceful means and on a continuous basis in accordance with universally recognized international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The two sides also stressed the importance of stability in the Middle East and reaffirmed their commitment to the United Nations Inter-Services Force in Southern Lebanon (UNIFIL), to which both Malaysia and France are contributing.
The two Ministers stressed their commitment to further strengthen defence cooperation, particularly between the two militaries and in the fields of science, technology and defence industry. France and Malaysia will initiate negotiations on a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA).
The two sides agreed to resume the Malaysia-France Joint Defence Strategic Committee (DJHSC) meeting in 2024. This is an important platform to discuss common defence and security issues that concern both France and Malaysia.
During the visit, the two ministers witnessed the signing of a letter of intent between the Malaysian Ministry of Defense and Thales Group (France) on the provision of GM400 long-range air defense radar to the Royal Malaysian Air Force. This radar will be located in Bintulu (Sarawak, Malaysia) to monitor the airspace of the East Sea of Malaysia and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Southeast Asian country.
Finally, the statement affirmed that the long-standing defence cooperation between the two countries is instrumental in building the capacity and capability of the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) in defending and protecting national interests.
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