Malaysia gets Asean nod for Security Council bid

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KUALA LUMPUR: Asean has endorsed Malaysia’s candidature as non-permanent member of the United Nations (UN) Security Council for the term 2015-2016.

In a statement, the foreign ministry said it was one of the main decisions of Thursday’s informal meeting of Asean foreign ministers held on the sidelines of the 68th UN General Assembly in New York. Malaysia was represented by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman.

Noting that the endorsement was significant, the ministry said: “With it, Malaysia is now Asean’s official candidate for the post.

“This will help raise the profile of our candidacy and be the basis of the endorsement by the wider Asian region.”

The ministry said it would continue with efforts to ensure that Malaysia received the highest possible number of votes during the elections for the post, scheduled for October next year in New York.

“These efforts include holding bilateral meetings with our counterparts who are also present in New York,” it added. — Bernama