ANKARA

Malaysia and Kyrgyzstan called on Wednesday for Afghanistan's reintegration into the international community while strongly condemning Israel's ongoing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

"We touched on Afghanistan, with the intention to embrace Afghanistan into the international community with certain, of course, observations," Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told a news conference in Kuala Lumpur following a meeting with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov.

"I share your views on that," Anwar said of his talks with Japarov, according to state-run Bernama News.

"Because as a country (Kyrgyzstan) closer to Afghanistan, you have a better understanding, and we would certainly benefit from your advice and views on this," he said, referring to the visiting Central Asian leader who is in Malaysia for a two-day official visit.

The call for Afghanistan's integration into the international community comes as no UN member state has recognized the interim Taliban administration in Kabul since their return to power in August 2021.

The war-torn country is facing an economic crisis, as the US has frozen $7 billion in Afghan foreign assets since withdrawing all foreign troops almost four years ago.

Only a few nations, including China, have accepted an ambassador from the Taliban-led interim administration, while Beijing also sent its envoy to Kabul in September 2023.

Israel urged to end aggression

The two leaders also discussed the situation in Gaza, urging Israel to end its "aggression, colonization, and genocide" and provide security and justice to Gaza's victims.

"They continue to suffer because of the failure of the international community to observe basic human rights and the contradiction and hypocrisy in many of the Western countries when it comes to atrocities inflicted upon the people of Palestine and Gaza," said Malaysia's prime minister.

Anwar said he had also spoken with Iranian and Qatari leaders the day before, amid Middle East tensions following US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and Tehran's retaliatory strikes on a US base in Qatar.

On the bilateral front, the two leaders discussed and agreed to strengthen cooperation in trade, economics, artificial intelligence (AI), science, energy, and other areas.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid