Malaysia is strengthening its diplomatic relations to both Norway, Sweden and Finland – with the aim of expanding further bilateral trade relations.
At the Nordic Day Celebration 2023, Communications and Digital Minister from Malaysia, Fahmi Fadzil, met with the Scandinavian Ambassadors to Malaysia. Namely Sami Leino from Finland, Joachim Bergstöm from Sweden and Morten Paulsen from Norway.
Fahmi was happy to attend the event, and believes it’s a good place to enhance the relations.
“Alhamdulillah, today I was invited to represent the Malaysian government to attend the Nordic Day Celebration 2023. For me personally, it is an honour, as I have attended previously as a Member of Parliament,” he said and added:
“My presence today is a sign that the government hopes that we can establish better relations with all these Nordic countries.”
Always room for more
Finnish Leino agrees, and stresses how the relations have been growing over the years, highlighting cooperations on both trade, education and sustainability.
“As many of you probably know, the Nordic countries form, perhaps the most closely integrated region in the world. We have a long history of cooperation, built upon common shared values of countries, on many global issues to advance sustainability and promote human rights or strengthen the international rules-based order,” Leino said.
“At least here in Kuala Lumpur, we even celebrate our National Day together. Even though our countries are geographically distant, there are many similarities that the Nordic countries share with Malaysia.”
An inevitable topic
Lastly, Leino went on about the war in both Ukraine and ‘the Middle East.’ He emphasized the importance of standing together in calling for respect for International Humanitarian Law on the protection of civilians.
“International Law applies to all, regardless of geographical context,” he said.
Source: The Edge Malaysia
