By Necva Tastan
ISTANBUL (AA) - Malaysia and New Zealand on Friday held their first foreign ministers' annual meeting, discussing the Middle East, the South China Sea, and Ukraine.
During the meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's Foreign Minister Mohamad bin Haji Hasan and his counterpart Winston Peters reviewed progress in the ongoing bilateral cooperation and affirmed their commitment to the strategic partnership, Malaysia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The duo exchanged views to address the regional challenges, including the South China Sea, the situation in the Middle East, and the situations in Myanmar, and Ukraine.
They reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-New Zealand strategic partnership.
Later, Peters met Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
"We expressed our commitment to strengthen and expand bilateral cooperation especially in the energy transition, trade and investment, education and defense sectors," Anwar said on X.
The meeting assumes significance as Malaysia is set to be the next chair of ASEAN in 2025.