By NNN-Bernama,
Bangkok : Malaysia believes the 3rd Asia-Middle East Dialogue Ministerial Meeting (AMED III) to be held here tomorrow will enhance constructive engagement for the two regions for greater world peace, economy and environment.
Deputy Foreign Minister Senator A. Kohilan Pillay said today the two-day dialogue could also provide a platform for the two regions to exchange ideas and experiences in overcoming common problems.
He told Bernama here it could enhance unity and cooperation among member countries.
Kohilan, who will lead the Malaysian delegation to AMED III, said the meeting also provided an avenue for both regions to explore opportunities available in each other region.
AMED, he said, offered opportunities for more than 30 member-countries to cooperate for the betterment of member states as they could address collectively, issues confronting them, including security, economy, financial
crisis and environment.
AMED III, to be held at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre here, will focus on political and security aspects, as well as economic issues.
The dialogue will touch on social, educational, scientific, cultural and media issues on Thursday.
Kohilan said AMED was unique as it was represented by two major regions in the world and its dialogue format allowed greater interaction between member countries.
“It is timely for us to work hand-in-hand and tackle issues as a team,” he said, adding that Malaysia, among others, would share its expertise and experience in maritime security to overcome piracy problem.
AMED participants include not only policy-makers and government officials but also the business community, scholars and other opinion leaders.
Asked to comment on critics saying that AMED, the biennial dialogue, was just another ‘talk shop’ as its outcomes were not legally binding, Kohilan said member countries had benefited a lot from AMED since its inauguration meeting in Singapore in 2005.
“AMED provides constructive engagement between the two regions and member countries benefited by sharing ideas, expertise and experiences in dealing with their common problems,” he said.
AMED II was held in Egypt in 2008.