ASEAN Beat

Japan, Malaysia Announce Diplomatic Upgrade, Enhanced Security Cooperation

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ASEAN Beat | Diplomacy | Southeast Asia

Japan, Malaysia Announce Diplomatic Upgrade, Enhanced Security Cooperation

Tokyo announced a grant of $2.8 million to to boost Malaysia’s maritime security under its new Overseas Security Assistance initiative.

Japan, Malaysia Announce Diplomatic Upgrade, Enhanced Security Cooperation

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his Japanese counterpart Kishida Fumio shake hands on the sidelines of the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit in Tokyo, Japan, December 16, 2023.

Credit: X/Anwar Ibrahim

Japan and Malaysia have announced the elevation of their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with security assistance figuring as a key area of growing cooperation.

The announcement came as Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim met on the sidelines of the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit in Tokyo on Saturday, the Malaysian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The three-day summit, which ended yesterday, marked 50 years of ties between Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

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