On the sidelines of the First World Public Summit, former senator and former Malaysian MP Jaziri Alkaf Abdillah Suffian told New Eastern Outlook that he would be happy to attend a second such summit. Read our exclusive interview and find out what stood out to him the most about this event and how important it is for all of us in the modern world to unite for the benefit of our planet.
– Mr Jaziri, what were your expectations from this event, and were they met?
– This summit has shown that we all have great opportunities for cooperation. His Excellency Miguel Angel Moratinos, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, High Representative of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, and United Nations Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia, emphasized in his welcoming address, “I believe that this platform has appeared at a crucial moment in time, as the world is facing growing instability and upheaval”.
From its very first minutes, the First World Public Summit proved to be an effective platform for direct dialogue and developing meaningful strategies so that we could have a clear understanding of which direction we, the people of the world, want to move in.
– How would you describe the current state of relations between our two countries?
– Russian-Malaysian relations are now, as they say, on the rise; they are developing successfully. Today, I see several important sectors for Malaysia in terms of cooperation with Russia. Along with energy, which may be considered a key area of cooperation, these are, for example, pharmaceuticals, nuclear medicine, oil and gas machinery and shipbuilding, agriculture, and aerospace.
Of course, efforts must be made to integrate our economies and implement as many programs as possible based on mutual trust.
We must not forget that cultural exchange is one of the key areas of international cooperation. Art plays an important role in establishing contacts between people, so it is in this area that deep and lasting ties can be built that will unite the peoples of Malaysia and Russia.
My main task is to look for opportunities and common ground between Russia and Malaysia. It is important to find diplomatic and economic links between my country and Russia.
– In general, how was the atmosphere at the summit, how would you describe it? Were the people friendly? I mean not only the organizers, but also the guests in attendance.
– The energy at this event is very positive, very strong, and incredibly intense. I feel here that it turns out that there really are a lot of people who want to unite. The summit’s participants want integration, they want communication, they want interaction. Everyone here understands perfectly well that only by joining forces will we achieve real peace where nobody will be forgotten or abandoned to the mercy of fate.
It is symbolic that here, at the First Public Summit, the Declaration on Happiness was adopted, and it contains the following words: “States are obliged to eliminate all forms of inequality and discrimination by encouraging the economy of cooperation and mutual service.” After all, you must agree that the success and prosperity of a single country are impossible without the common joy and happiness of all people, because this is the true meaning of happiness diplomacy.
– In today’s world, how important is it to come together and act for the benefit of our planet, of our world?
– Not just incredibly important, but vital. In terms of economic development socio-cultural and political relations, we need peace and harmony. Yes, in Malaysia and in the Southeast Asian region as a whole—and this is an actively growing region—it is extremely important for us to make sure that we have friends who want to develop with us, to keep pace with us, as they say.
At the summit, many spoke about the fact that the world is currently undergoing a period of great political, economic, financial, and social transformation. International integration associations are coming to the fore. The representatives of the countries gathered here are not interested in war.
You know, at this summit, an idea was voiced: today it is culture that can be the first to reach out, even where politicians are still silent. This forum has become a space where the word “culture” was mentioned hundreds of times, always in conjunction with the word “trust.” Those gathered showed the whole world that we share a common language that transcends political differences. It is the language of art, beauty, memory, and friendship.
– Did you have the opportunity to sign any agreements on establishing or continuing cooperation?
– Yes, negotiations between our two countries are continuous. We maintain a constant two-way dialogue. Representatives of Malaysia are coming here, and representatives of your country are coming to Malaysia. In other words, we have an endless constructive joint dialogue aimed at mutually beneficial cooperation.
– If there will be, or rather when there will be a second summit, will you attend?
– Not even having received an invitation to the next summit, I am already mentally prepared to go! I am sure there will be a second summit and many more.
– Mr. Jaziri, until next time then! We thank you for an interesting talk!
Interview by Yulia NOVITSKAYA, writer, journalist, and correspondent for New Eastern Outlook
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