Malaysia and Germany to elevate defence ties with new strategic pact

3 Feb 2026 • 10:19 PM MYT
The Sun Daily
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Malaysia and Germany commit to strengthening defence ties, with plans to sign a Joint Declaration of Intent at the Munich Security Conference 2026.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia and Germany have pledged to elevate their bilateral defence cooperation to a more strategic level.

The commitment was discussed during a courtesy call by German Ambassador to Malaysia Silke Riecken-Daerr on Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

Both parties plan to finalise a Joint Declaration of Intent on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in mid-February 2026.

Discussions also covered defence industry cooperation aligned with Malaysia’s new National Defence Industry Policy.

Germany’s support through its Enable and Enhance Initiative was another key topic.

The E&E Initiative is a German security assistance programme aimed at boosting partners’ military capabilities in the Indo-Pacific.

Its implementation, which began in 2024, includes a proposal to upgrade Malaysian army training facilities.

Talks also involved potential participation of the German defence industry in the Defence Security Asia 2026 exhibition.

Mohamed Khaled said the meeting reflected a shared commitment to regional security and capacity-building.

He stated it underscored a drive for a sustainable defence ecosystem for mutual benefit.