SL-Malaysia agree to enhance monitoring of regional waters

31 August 2018 06:15 am

Sri Lanka and Malaysia have agreed to strengthen cooperation in monitoring the waters between the two countries, Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail has said.

According to Bernama, she has said the matter was among the topics of discussion when she received a courtesy call from Sri Lanka Foreign Affairs Minister Tilak Marapana on Monday at Parliament House.

"The security of waters was among the areas given attention by the Malaysian government. Our focus is to maintain peace and ensure the waters is free from piracy for the safety of merchants,” she said in a statement on Thursday.

Wan Azizah also said the future development of the region depended on the good relations among countries in the region such as Malaysia and Sri Lanka.

In the statement, Minister Marapana was reported to have expressed Sri Lanka's interest on the issue of security in the Indian Ocean especially on the movements of ships.  

He said he was impressed with the success of Wan Azizah on her appointment as first woman Deputy Prime Minister in Malaysia.