DNA

ISLAMABAD: The High Commissioner of Malaysia to Pakistan, Ambassador Mohammad Azhar Mazlan hosted the “Iftar Dinner Reception for Pakistan’s former participants of the Malaysia Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP)” at the Malaysian High Commission in Islamabad.

The reception was attended by distinguished guests including officials from Pakistan’s key ministries, the Malaysian High Commission and Pakistan’s former participants of the MTCP. The purpose of the reception was to promote continuous engagements with the aim of fostering a long-lasting and strong bond of friendship between the officials of both countries.

During the reception, Ambassador Azhar in his speech welcomed the guests and shared salient features of the program. He stated that the event aimed to establish closer relations and strengthen networking between the High Commission of Malaysia in Islamabad and Pakistan’s former MTCP participants. Malaysia attaches great importance to its bilateral relations with Pakistan. He added that the long- standing bilateral relations and close cooperation between the two brotherly countries have covered various areas including trade, investment, education, tourism, culture, defense, and technical assistance on human capital development, among others.

The MTCP was officially launched on 7 September 1980 at the Second Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting to signify Malaysia’s commitment to South-South Cooperation in particular technical cooperation among developing countries, with its main objective to achieve sustainable economic and social development among the countries. The MTCP is a flagship programme of the Malaysian government, aimed at providing technical assistance and capacity- building to developing countries. The MTCP also emphasises human resources development mainly through training, short-term courses in public and private Malaysian training institutions, and long-term courses in Malaysian public universities. It entails prioritising developing countries of strategic interests, focusing on Malaysia’s area of expertise, demand-driven courses/ programmes, cultivation of potential participants who would later serve as ‘Friends of Malaysia’, Public-Private Partnership, and collaboration with new development partners beyond MTCP’s traditional partners.

Annually, Malaysia’s flagship MTCP offers more than 60 technical training and capacity-building programmes in vast areas of development in collaboration with leading local training institutions and international development partners. Since its

inception, the MTCP has benefited thousands of participants from various countries, including Pakistan, by offering training and knowledge-sharing opportunities in various fields.

The High Commissioner ended his remarks by mentioning that Malaysia aims to encourage more future participation from Pakistani officials in the MTCP, as it would not only be beneficial for the bilateral relations, but would also assist in the career development of the participants. He reaffirmed Malaysia’s commitment to further enhancing cooperation with Pakistan through programmes like MTCP.

Ms. Maryam Mushtaq, Assistant Director of Economic Diplomacy and International Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who is also a former MTCP participant, expressed her sincere gratitude to the Malaysian government for managing the MTCP efficiently. She stated that the MTCP not only provided a chance to further enhance her professional skills but also provided an opportunity to truly immerse in a cultural experience. She added that the MTCP has provided participants from an array of professional backgrounds to further polish their skills. She hoped that the MTCP would be continued as it benefited thousands of participants from various countries including Pakistan.