Published: Tuesday November 20, 2012 MYT 5:28:00 PM

Obama responds positively to calls to end Gaza violence

PHNOM PENH: United States President Barack Obama has responded positively to calls made by Indonesia and Malaysia, in trying to stop the current violence in Gaza.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Obama informed Tuesday morning that he (Obama) had made several telephone calls last night to stop the violence, after the two countries raised the issue at the Asean-United States Leaders' Meeting here Monday night.

"During the meeting, I requested Obama to act in ending the current violence in Gaza and find short-term and medium-term solutions based on the two-state solution (as proposed by the United Nations) as the basis for the conflict resolution," he told the Malaysian media here.

The leaders met again this morning during the Trans-Pacific Partnership Leaders' Meeting here.

"Obama informed me this morning that he has acted by making several telephone calls last night," said Najib.

"Obama said he would try. He wants the current violence to stop, and he knows that finding comprehensive and final solution is going to be a huge undertaking.

"We know the challenges and complexity of the issue. I think there is a desire on his part to find final solution to this issue," said the prime minister.

Israel has launched its latest aggression operation called, 'Pillar of Defence', in Gaza since Nov 14, resulting in the loss of over 100 lives, according to regional news reports, and several hundreds injured.

Malaysia has condemned the attack and the Malaysian Government Tuesday tabled an emergency motion on the matter in Parliament.

Najib said Malaysia had urged the United States to find the right time to resuscitate the negotiation based on a two-state solution.

On the Asean-United States Leaders' Meeting, Najib said the meeting, among others, welcomed the recommendation by the Asean-United States Eminent Persons Group for the institutionalisation of the meeting to become Asean-United States Summit.

"The meeting acknowledged the United States' intention of enhancing the US-Asean relationship to strategic partnership," he said, adding that Obama wanted the economic engagement between Asean and United States to be further upgraded.

Najib said he also raised the Global Movement of Moderation's concept propagated by Malaysia during the meeting, and Obama responded that he was interested in the concept.

Obama was confident the concept would enable each individual get the opportunity to solve conflicts and help in promoting peace and conflict resolution, he added. - Bernama

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