KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 8 — Malaysia and France remain committed to working together to tackle regional and international issues of mutual concern, including ensuring that the South China Sea remains in a peaceful and stable state.

In a joint statement by Malaysia’s Defence Ministry and the French Armed Forces in conjunction with French Minister of the Armed Forces Sebastian Lecornu’s first official visit to Malaysia today, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and Lecornu stressed the importance of maintaining the South China Sea as a safe trading route through continuous consultation in line with the principles of universally acknowledged international laws, including the United Nations Convention on The Law of the Sea 1982 (Unclos 1982) and that France welcomed becoming an observer in Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) Plus.

They also outlined the importance of stability in the Middle East and confirmed their commitment to the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (Unifil), as well as boosting defence cooperation, especially in the fields of defence science, technology and industry, and agreed to initiate a discussion regarding Status of Forces agreement.

"Both leaders also agreed to continue with the France-Malaysia Defence Joint High Strategic Committee (DJHSC) Meeting in 2024, as it is an important platform in sharing defence and security issues affecting both countries,” the statement said.

Both ministers also witnessed the signing of the Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) between the Defence Ministry and Thales Group for the GM400 long-distance air defence radar to the Royal Malaysian Air Force, which will be stationed in Bintulu, Sarawak to monitor the airspace of Malaysia’s coasts and exclusive economic zone.

The statement stressed that the approach of a defence partnership between Malaysia and France formed the basis of maintaining security and stability as outlined by the National Defence Strategy’s third pillar, as outlined in the Defence White Paper and in line with the French Defence in Indo-Pacific Strategy. — Bernama