Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora also viewed Malaysia as a model country which had successfully managed people of different races and religions.
“We are prepared to help Lebanon and will send over a team from our Multimedia Development Corpora-tion to study Lebanon’s e-government needs,” said Abdullah, who held bilateral talks on the sidelines of the Arab League Summit here yesterday.
He said Malaysia would look into providing technical assistance and developing human capital.
Abdullah also met King Abdullah II of Jordan, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and Indonesian Vice-President Yusuf Kalla at the summit.
He said Indonesia was happy with Malaysia’s investment in the country, namely in the palm oil sector.
“They are happy that we have created job opportunities for their people and are now interested in developing the downstream palm oil industry,” he said.
Abdullah said he discussed at length the Middle East peace process with King Abdullah and emphasised that the Two State solution must be pursued.
“Land that was taken away from the Palestinians must be returned and there must be two states with clear borders and this has been the stand of OIC and NAM,” he said.
Abdullah, who was invited to the Arab League Summit in Malaysia’s capacity as the chair of the Organ-isation of Islamic Conference, said the Arabs regarded his speech - that touched on the lack of unity among Arab nations in pursuing collective interest - as friendly advice.
In his speech, Abdullah said the Arab League members should remain united to push for lasting regional peace in the Middle East.
Among others, he urged the warring Muslim communities in Pales-tine, Iraq and Lebanon to put their house in order before asking other Muslim countries to help them.
In the case of the Palestinians, if they wanted the Muslim world to help them they must work hard towards unity and stop fighting each other, he said.
On his meeting with Musharraf, Abdullah told pressmen that they discussed issues concerning Islamic countries outside the Arab world.
Autor(en)/Author(s): Devid Rajah
Quelle/Source: The Malaysia Star, 30.03.2007
