Malaysia-Pakistan Sharing Of Mediation Experience A ‘Strategic Necessity’ - High Commissioner
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 31 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and Pakistan should share their experiences and approaches to conflict resolution as geopolitical tensions increasingly threaten regional and global stability, said Pakistan High Commissioner to Malaysia Syed Ahsan Raza Shah.
He said such cooperation is a “strategic necessity”, noting that both countries occupy pivotal geopolitical positions and have played important roles as mediators or facilitators in recent conflicts.
“Both countries have played a very important role in addressing the US-Iran conflict and the Cambodia-Thailand conflict directly as mediators or facilitators,” he said in an interview on Bernama World on Monday, titled Malaysia & Pakistan: Diplomacy For Peace.
Syed Ahsan said Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had acted calmly when hostilities erupted between Thailand and Cambodia and ASEAN’s established mechanisms came under strain, helping bring about a ceasefire and the signing of the Kuala Lumpur pact.
Meanwhile, he noted that Pakistan was well placed to facilitate talks between the US and Iran because Tehran is its close neighbour with deep historical ties, while Washington remains one of Islamabad’s closest friends.
“The situation had come to a point where nobody knew how it would proceed, as both sides were poles apart. Iran is our near neighbour with historical relations, and the United States is one of our closest friends, so we stepped in.
“We are very proud of the Islamabad accord,” he said.
Syed Ahsan said Malaysia’s and Pakistan’s respective experiences demonstrated the need for countries to adapt their diplomatic approaches in what Anwar has described as “post-normal times”.
“Diplomacy, conflict and mediation are not the same. We have to adjust by sharing our best practices and learning from each other,” he said.
He stressed that trust remained the most important element in any mediation effort, adding that negotiations could not progress unless all parties viewed the mediator as honest and well-meaning.
Syed Ahsan said mediators should pursue incremental progress instead of attempting to resolve a conflict in a single meeting, while remaining patient and unprovoked by rhetoric when negotiations encounter setbacks.
He also praised Anwar’s ability to establish personal rapport with international leaders, saying this quality played an important role in Malaysia’s mediation efforts.
On wider geopolitical challenges, Syed Ahsan warned that conflicts could not be contained within geographical boundaries and would eventually create economic and strategic repercussions elsewhere, including in Malaysia.
-- BERNAMA
