MALAYSIA WANTS PHILIPPINES TO OPEN CONSULATE IN SABAH

KUALA LUMPUR, April 15 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has reiterated the need for the
Philippines to open a consulate-general in Kota Kinabalu, the capital of the
east Malaysin state of Sabah, to provide consular services to the Filipinos in
Sabah.

Wisma Putra (Foreign Ministery) said in a statement here Friday that the
matter was raised during the Seventh Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) in Manila
Fridah and co-chaired by Foreign Minister Anifah Aman and Secretary of Foreign
Affairs, Albert F. Del Rosario.

Both governments had agreed during the Second Malaysia-Philippines JCM in
1995 on opening a Philippine consulate-general in Kota Kinabalu and Malaysian
consulate-general in Davao City.

The Malaysian Consulate-General in Davao City was opened on Dec 7, 1995.

Wisma Putra said the Manila meeting created a good momentum for progressive
and productive bilateral cooperation, whereby the two ministers exchanged views
on the way forward to further strengthen their collaboration in various areas.

"Among the areas are political and security, trade and investment,
agriculture, tourism, education, health, information and communication, culture,
air services and consular matters," it said.

In this context, the two delegations agreed to expedite the finalisation of
several pending bilateral agreements and memorandums of understanding.

"In order to build on the recent upward trend of bilateral trade and
investment between the two countries, the ministers agreed that both sides would
map out practical and achievable targets to further enhance cooperation in
these two areas.

"This is in addition to practical steps that will be taken to strengthen
sectoral cooperation, and the two ministers agreed to revitalise and streamline
the JCM and its mechanisms," it said.

Wisma Putra also said that Manila was appreciative of the various forms of
technical assistance that Malaysia had been providing to the Philippines, while
also acknowledging its important contribution to the peace process between the
Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Malaysia is scheduled to host the next JCM in 2013.