The Minister of National Defense, Major General Michel Mansi, discussed with his Malaysian counterpart, Mohamed Khaled bin Nour El-Din, the options offered for the period after the end of the missions of the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) at the end of this year, in a meeting held at the former’s office in Yarzeh in the presence of a high-ranking Malaysian delegation.
The delegation accompanying the guest minister included the Commander of the Malaysian Joint Force, Lieutenant General Mohamed Fawzi bin Tengku Ibrahim, and the Acting Chargé d’Affaires of the Malaysian Embassy in Lebanon, Johan Arif bin Mohamed Jaafar. The two sides discussed bilateral relations and ways to enhance them, in addition to the latest developments on the local and regional arenas.
Major General Mansi praised Malaysia’s continued support for Lebanon, and Kuala Lumpur’s active participation in UNIFIL over nearly two decades, praising the role of the Malaysian battalion in southern Lebanon and the humanitarian, development and service projects it provides to support local communities. The two sides also touched on the ongoing consultations to discuss possible alternatives after the end of the international force’s mission, to ensure the strengthening of security and stability in the region.
Regarding the field issue, the Minister of Defense presented the repercussions of the ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanon, stressing the necessity of immediately implementing the basic provisions of the framework agreement signed in Washington, specifically the ceasefire and withdrawal, pointing out that none of these two provisions have been achieved so far.
For his part, the Malaysian Minister affirmed his country’s desire to expand the horizons of bilateral cooperation with Lebanon, especially in the military field, announcing during the meeting the provision of a military donation to the Lebanese army, including equipment and supplies, provided by the Malaysian battalion operating within the UNIFIL forces.
