Najib: Cabinet to study possibility of opening embassy in East Jerusalem
Cabinet to discuss setting up of mission, seek Palestinians’ view, says PM
THE Cabinet will discuss the need to set up a Malaysian embassy in East Jerusalem, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Malaysia must delve into the prospect thoroughly as it also needed to seek the views of the Palestinian Authority, Najib said at a press conference with the Malaysian media in concluding his three-day official working visit to Sri Lanka yesterday.
He was commenting on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s call for Muslim countries to establish their embassies in the holy city to counter any move to proclaim Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Erdogan was quoted as saying that Turkey would set up its embassy in East Jerusalem in the
near term to recognise the city as the Palestinian capital.
“We will look into the proposal from various aspects. We have not obtained any input from the Palestinian Authority,” Najib said.
“We must get their opinion first. We don’t want to supersede them, although we are committed to fighting for Palestinian rights. (Malaysia) is against the move to proclaim Baitulmaqdis (Jerusalem) as Israel’s capital. “This is our firm stance.”
Najib said Malaysia and Sri Lanka were committed to concluding talks on a free-trade agreement
(FTA) by next year or early 2019.
The commitment followed his meeting with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe during a luncheon yesterday.
“Sri Lanka needs to conclude its FTA talks with Singapore first, which is 90 per cent completed. Then the focus will be on the FTA with Malaysia,” Najib said.
He said there were proposals for Malaysia to set up a palm oil refinery in the country for export to India, and explore opportunities in the Sri Lankan tourism sector.
Earlier, Najib launched Axiata
Group Bhd’s US$15 million (RM61 million) Dialog Axiata Digital Innovation Fund to help Sri Lankan digital entrepreneurs expand their business. He also attended the signing of a commemorative plaque for Hyrax Oil Sdn Bhd’s lubricants blending plant here.
Najib departed for the Maldives yesterday for an official working visit.
Page 1 pic: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak shaking hands with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in Colombo yesterday.