Any trouble in one country will impact other nations: Commander of French Joint Command

SANDAKAN: France is committed to working with Malaysia and the rest of the world for global peace and stability, said Commander of the French Joint Command in Indian Ocean, vice-admiral Gerard Valin.

“In this globalisation era, any trouble in one country will have an impact on other nations.

“Thus, regional security and stability are keys to world peace and harmony,” he told reporters after attending a briefing at the 6th Royal Ranger Regiment command base in Pulau Berhala here yesterday.

Valin said the French Joint Command was working with its Malaysian counterpart in ensuring peace and stability in this region, through exchange of information.

He said their cooperation, which extended from ships to submarines and helicopters, was the result of good exchanges in approach and intelligence.

“Our cooperation is significant because my area of command starts from the Swiss Canal to the South China Sea. It’s a big area and it is important to operate in joint command,” he said.

He described Malaysia as a very nice country, blessed with a ‘little paradise in Sabah’.

“Many French and European tourists come to Sabah because it has some of the most beautiful corals and marine lives in the world,” said Valin, who is leading a four-member delegation from the French Joint Command in Indian Ocean on a visit to Sandakan.

Acting Commander of Joint Task Force 2 First Admiral Datuk Pahlawan Mohd Som Ibrahim and Malaysian Joint Forces director for Internal Operations Colonel Jalaludin Md Yusof attended the briefing with the French commander. — Bernama