Malaysia, UAE strengthen defence ties
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have further deepened their strategic defence cooperation following a two-day working visit by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
Khaled, who arrived on Wednesday night at Dubai International Airport, held a pre-council session to ensure the programme would proceed smoothly.
"As part of this visit, a bilateral meeting is scheduled with the UAE Minister of State for Defence Affairs Mohamed Mubarak Fadhel Al Mazrouei at the Ministry of Defence in Abu Dhabi. "The meeting provided an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of consistent defence cooperation, aligned with the strong bilateral economic ties between Malaysia and the UAE."
Khaled said the UAE recognised the close relationship between the two countries and welcomed participation from Malaysian companies in collaboration with EDGE Group, a UAE government-owned defence and technology conglomerate.
He said he had also presented Malaysia's capabilities in semiconductor and aerospace components, highlighting their potential to support EDGE Group's defence product supply chain in the future.
Khaled said Malaysia proposed a training collaboration for Royal Malaysian Navy officers on UAE-owned signing of a defence cooperation memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Malaysia and the UAE.
Khaled said the MoU marked a significant milestone in the strategic relationship between the two countries and expanded the scope of cooperation beyond military matters to include joint defence research, defence product development, industry engagement and human capital development initiatives.
"The MoU will also serve as an important bridge to immediately engage industry, particularly in identifying areas of mutual focus and potential high-impact projects that can be commercialised. "It opens a new chapter in Malaysia-UAE defence cooperation that is stronger, mutually reinforcing and anchored on regional and global peace and stability," he said.
During his visit, Khaled also paid a courtesy visit to the Embassy of Malaysia in Abu Dhabi, where he thanked Ambassador Tengku Datuk Sirajuzzaman Tengku Mohamed Ariffin and the entire embassy team for their warm welcome and hospitality.
"I expressed my appreciation for the commitment demonstrated in strengthening Malaysia-UAE relations, including in the defence aspect, which is of considerable importance to both countries," he said.
Khaled added that the embassy played a vital role in ensuring the interests of Malaysians abroad were safeguarded while supporting defence diplomacy and national security agendas.
The minister was accompanied by Defence Ministry deputy secretarygeneral (Policy) Mohd Yani Daud, Armed Forces Headquarters chief of staff Lieutenant-General Datuk Azhan Md Othman, and Defence Ministry Policy and Strategic Planning Division secretary Datuk Muhammad Ammir Haron.
"This visit reflects Malaysia's commitment to deepening defence relations with the UAE and fostering closer strategic, industrial and training collaboration that will benefit both nations," he said.