malaysia
Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah said diplomats now have to share the international stage with many more actors, including civil society organizations. [...] In his speech titled “Transformation for 21st Century Diplomats”, the Sultan said long-established and reputable cause-and-issue oriented international NGOs make invaluable contributions to alleviating human suffering.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein (pix) said the 'military diplomacy' policy between Malaysia and foreign countries has helped strengthen the country's position in the eyes of the world, as well as facilitating Malaysia to obtain assistance if needed. Citing the time when country was facing challenging issues related to missing flight MH370, Hishammuddin said as many as 26 countries came forward to help in the search for the plane
The King Salman Centre for International Peace (KSCIP), to be set up in Malaysia, can help correct any negative image of Islam and its followers, said Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein. He said the decision by Saudi Arabia to have the centre built here showed its confidence in the country’s leadership.
The Foreign Ministry, in cooperation with the Riau Islands provincial administration, plans to make the archipelagic province a hub for Indonesia’s economic diplomacy. Riau Islands province comprises 2,408 islands, including Natuna Islands, a stretch of resource-rich islands jutting at the frontiers of the South China Sea and bordering Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore and Malaysia.
A goal kick away from the Toa Payoh Stadium are reminders of the once-close ties between Myanmar and this Singapore neighborhood, home to the Burmese Buddhist Temple and streets named for the towns and rivers of the Golden Land. The arena hosts Balestier Khalsa Football Club, of Singapore's professional soccer league, and sits in the middle of a community which arrived from the country then known as Burma in the 1940s and 1950s.
Critics in the Maldives likely sighed relief when Saudi King Salman this week postponed his visit because of an outbreak of flu. The flu is however unlikely to halt a planned massive Saudi investment or the impact on Maldives society of the kingdom’s religion-driven public diplomacy. [...] Yet, religion often was an elephant in the room on most stops on King Salman’s trip that took him to Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, China and Japan.
Saudi King Salman’s four-day state visit to Malaysia in late February culminated with an investment deal between Malaysia’s Petronas and Saudi Aramco, as well as key bilateral agreements on the cooperation and exchange of expertise in the fields of trade and economy; labour and human resources; science and higher education; and news exchange. The latter agreements underscore a shift from past engagements.
All in all, Salman’s Asian official visit-cum-holiday is likely to reverberate far beyond the billions of dollars in economic and commercial agreements he signs. The visit also solidified cooperation between Asian nations and Saudi Arabia in the fight against IS.