RIO DE JANEIRO: An immediate and permanent ceasefire has to be called in the ongoing war on Gaza, both Malaysia and Brazil have stressed.

The two countries also demanded that Israel ensure unimpeded humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in the occupied territory.

“Both leaders also reaffirmed their support for the establishment of an independent and sovereign State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the pre-1967 borders, and Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations,” said a joint statement issued after a bilateral meeting between President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on the sidelines of the G20 Summit.

Anwar and Lula reaffirmed their commitment to combating inequality, hunger and poverty while striving to improve the living standards of their people, Bernama reported.

The two leaders underscored the importance of enhancing bilateral cooperation in various fields, including health, the halal industry, food security and agriculture, science, technology, and innovation as well as the environment and climate change.

They also welcomed the official launch of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty while President Lula expressed appreciation for Malaysia’s decision to join the Alliance as a founding member.

Both leaders reiterated their commitment to collective efforts to eradicate global hunger by the end of the decade, in alignment with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In other developments, both leaders expressed their support for the recognition of the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF), introduced by Brazil at COP28 in Dubai, and showed interest in collaborating on designing the mechanism’s framework ahead of its launch at COP30 in Belem in 2025.

“Recognising their shared status as megadiverse countries, Brazil and Malaysia see the TFFF as a ground-breaking tool for fostering tropical rainforest conservation in developing countries,” the joint statement said.

Putrajaya and Brasilia celebrate the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and the strength of bilateral ties, which are rooted in shared values and common goals such as peace, cooperation and sustainable development.

Both leaders noted with satisfaction the progress achieved since their phone call on Feb 9, including an increase in high-level visits throughout the year. They also welcomed the inaugural Bilateral Consultation Meeting held on Sept 18, which served as a platform to advance the political, economic and cooperative agenda between the two countries.

Anwar arrived in the largest country in South America from Lima, Peru, last Saturday for an official visit and as a guest country representative at the G20 Summit.

Malaysia, along with 16 other countries, including Chile, Qatar, Egypt, Singapore, Spain, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam, participated as guest countries in the G20.

The G20 comprises 19 countries and two unions: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Euro-pean Union (EU) and the African Union (AU).

Anwar, who is also Malaysia’s Finance Minister, was accompanied by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz.

Last year, Brazil, the largest country in South America, was Malaysia’s 20th largest trading partner, 29th largest export destination and 17th largest import source.

Among Latin American and Caribbean countries, Brazil is Malaysia’s second-largest trading partner, second-largest export destination and largest import source.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/11/19/malaysia-brazil-push-for--gaza-truce