Malaysia lauds EU's comprehensive strategy in countering terrorism

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia welcomes the comprehensive strategy by the European Union (EU) to counter the global threats of terrorism, violent extremism and radicalisation.
Malaysia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), Datuk Ramlan Ibrahim said the strategy did not only seek to address the symptoms of terrorism but also its root causes.
He said the EU recognised that military action alone was not sufficient to defeat Daesh as there was other factors that contribute to the problem.
"EU addresses the phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters, cutting off terrorist financing, promotes political stability and engages in strategic counter-messaging," he said at the UN Security Council Meeting on Cooperation between UN and Regional and Sub-Regional Organisations in New York, Tuesday.
The text of his speech was made available here, today.
Ramlan said as part of a comprehensive strategy to counter violent terrorism and radicalisation, there was also need to address the increasing sentiment of Islamophobia.
"Muslim minorities in Europe should not be pressured to be 'less Muslim' in order to be 'more European'," he said.
Malaysia would also like to see a more active role by the EU in regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict particularly as an honest broker between the two states, he said.
"We believe the EU could pave the way in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by using the tools at its disposal to end decades of impunity and ensure adherence to international law, freedom, and respect for human rights, which are core values of the EU.
"In view of the deteriorating situation on the ground and the slow death of the two-state solution, we need to move away from the previous practice of managing the conflict to addressing its root causes. We need to end the repressive Israeli occupation," he said.
Ramlan said Malaysia also applauded the critical role played by the EU in supporting Syrian refugees through its migration policy and humanitarian aid.
He pointed out that the latest pledge by the EU amounting to over US$3 billion (RM12.24 billion) at the London Donors Conference last February is another example of the EU's commitment to address the migration crisis in the Mediterranean.
"Close cooperation between the EU to the UN is important as the EU has a lot to offer through its expertise, wide experience and resources to complement and support the role of the UN in facing various global challenges," he said. — Bernama