Malaysia lauds US commitment to Middle East solution

comments     Yoon Szu-Mae     Published     Updated

Malaysia supports the United States' Middle East solution of remaining fully engaged in the region and bringing into being a Palestinian state within three years.

During a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Colin Powell in Putrajaya today, Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said that Malaysia is "glad to know that the US intends to remain fully engaged to see a peaceful solution in the Middle East".

"I think the Mideast conflict is going to be resolved," he added.

Powell said that during the meeting, he had reiterated US President George W. Bush's vision, reflected in a key speech on June 24, that emphasised US "commitment to bring into being a Palestinian state, hopefully within three years".

He said the US will remain "fully engaged" in the Middle East until the "two nations (Israel and Palestine) can live side-by-side, and until peace in due course becomes a reality".

He added that efforts are already underway with regard to security transformation within the Palestinian community and the humanitarian situation within the Occupied Territories.

No mention of PM's objection

However, no mention was made of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's rejection of the US call to Palestinians to remove Yasser Arafat as president of the Palestinian Authority.

In his June 24 speech, Bush called for changes in the Palestinian leadership, as a condition for supporting the end to Israeli occupation and the creation of a "provisional" Palestinian state.

While not explicitly stating so, he indicated that Yasser Arafat should leave his position as president of the Palestinian Authority.

Responding on Bush's remarks, Mahathir said last week that any change in the leadership must be decided by the Palestinian people.

Malaysia, a member of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, has in the past blamed Israel for the Middle East conflict, and considered its military actions in West Bank and Gaza as "state-sponsored terrorism". Malaysia supports Palestinian demands for an independent state.

Earlier this morning, Powell met with Mahathir in Putrajaya. His stopover in Malaysia was part of a tour of Southeast Asian countries including Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines. He will be in Brunei next to attend the annual Asean Regional Forum.

Others in his delegation include James Kelly, Assistant Secretary for East Asia and the Pacific, Richard Boucher, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, and Anthony Wayne, Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs.

Kelly held a breakfast meeting today with Keadilan president Dr Wan Azizah Ismail, with issues of human rights, democracy and political detainees being discussed.



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