KUALA LUMPUR, June 24 — Italy and Malaysia have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening defence ties, with both countries exploring broader cooperation in procurement, military collaboration and technology transfer following high-level talks in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
Italian news agency ANSA reported that Italian Ambassador to Malaysia Raffaele Langella said the commitment was reaffirmed during his courtesy call on Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin at Wisma Pertahanan yesterday.
He said the visit underscored Italy and Malaysia’s shared commitment to strengthening bilateral defence ties and promoting closer cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
“Italy is ready to collaborate with Malaysia to further strengthen our excellent cooperation, contributing to Malaysia’s national defence capabilities in the spirit of the National Defence Industrial Policy.
“From the maritime sector to the cyber sector, Italy is ready to elevate bilateral relations in the field of defence through increasingly broad and mutually beneficial cooperation,” Langella said on the sidelines of the meeting.
Meanwhile, Khaled emphasised the importance of defence cooperation between the two countries, including military collaboration, technology transfer and the potential for Malaysia to become a regional maintenance, repair and overhaul hub specialising in aircraft and component servicing.
“I am confident that defence relations between Italy and Malaysia will continue to grow through broader and more strategic cooperation for our mutual benefit,” he said.
