Anifah Leads Delegation To The 4th EAS FMM In Myanmar

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 12 (Bernama) -- Foreign Minister, Anifah Aman led a Malaysian delegation at a series of Foreign Ministerial meetings in Naw Pyi Taw, Sunday. They are the 4th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' Meeting (EAS FMM), 21th Asean Regional Forum (ARF) and the Post-Ministerial Conferences (PMC) with New Zealand and Australia. The Foreign Ministry in a statement Monday said the 4th EAS FMM and 21st ARF were chaired by Union Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, U Wunna Maung Lwin. According to the statement, during the EAS FMM, the ministers noted the Asean Secretary-General's report on the status of the implementation of the EAS Co-operation Projects and adopted the Plan of Action on the Phnom Penh Declaration on EAS Development Initiative. "They also exchanged views on regional and international issues of common concern, in particular issues related to regional peace and security including the South China Sea and the Korean Peninsula," the statement said. During the meeting, Anifah also spoke of the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in Ukraine. The statement said the 21st ARF was held in a retreat format where the foreign ministers of 27 participating countries exchanged views on the political and security situation as well as on security challenges faced by the region. "Emphasis was given on the developments in the Middle East, in particular Israel's disproportionate military response in Gaza, the situation in North Africa, maritime security in South China Sea and the situation in the Korean Peninsula. "The ministers also discussed non-traditional security issues, such as non-proliferation and trafficking in persons and illicit drugs," it said. On the sidelines of the 21st ARF, Anifah, together with China Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi and Lwin, launched the logo for the ARF DiRex 2015. ARF DiRex is a biennial event that serves as a platform for networking and exchange of expertise among ARF Participating Countries, to be co-hosted by Malaysia and China in Kedah from Feb 1 to 6, 2015. In fact, Anifah also had a bilateral meeting with his counterpart from Timor Leste, Dr Jose Luis Guterres. -- BERNAMA