Malaysia ready to discuss with the US regarding concerns about the shipment of oil from Iran – Fahmi
PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian government is ready to discuss with counterparts from the United States (US) concerns about allegations of oil shipments from Iran that are under sanctions.
Communication Minister Fahmi Fadzil, who is also a government spokesperson, said, “This matter was briefly discussed at today’s Cabinet meeting.”
However, he said, “Since discussions are still ongoing, I will not delve too deeply into it and will not comment extensively on it.”
“The Malaysian government and its ministries and agencies are ready to engage in discussions with counterparts in the US to understand what is meant by the various concerns raised,” he said at a press conference here today.
Recent news reports quoted a US Treasury official expressing concerns about the role of service providers based in Malaysia in shipping Iranian oil that is subject to sanctions.
Fahmi said the issue has attracted the attention of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, and the government views it seriously.
“We want to emphasize that Malaysia, as a sovereign country, first and foremost, complies with the sanctions of the United Nations,” he said.
Responding to questions about allegations of Malaysia being a place for Hamas fighters to raise funds and transfer assets, he said, “As I stated, when discussing this issue with our counterparts in the US, we want to fully understand the specific details they are referring to.”
“We will investigate the matter,” he said.
US Ambassador to Malaysia, Edgard D. Kagan, was reported to have said that US Treasury Assistant Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson and his team will be in Malaysia to hold ongoing discussions with key counterparts on the importance of a global response to critical threats.”
-Agency
