(VOVworld) – Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Wednesday that Malaysia is open to a dialogue with North Korea to find a peaceful solution to the tensions between the two countries.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak (left) and Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (right) after an urgent meeting on tensions with North Korea in Subang, March 7 (Photo: EPA/VNA)

Zahid reiterated Prime Minister Najib Razak’s decision that Malaysia won’t end diplomatic relations with North Korea despite their escalating row. He said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will meet with the North Korean delegation in Kuala Lumpur to seek a comprehensive solution to the issue.

Diplomatic tensions between the two countries have escalated in the 3 weeks since the death of a North Korean man whose passport bore the name Kim Chol. Malaysia said the man was poisoned, while North Korea said he died of a heart attack, diabetes, and high blood pressure. The North Korean government and Ambassador Kang Chol rejected Malaysia’s investigation results, calling them “hostile” to Pyongyang.