Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – Malaysia is willing to negotiate with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to find a peaceful solution to tensions in diplomatic ties, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on March 8.

Deputy PM Zahid reiterated Prime Minister Najib Razak’s decision to maintain diplomatic relations with the DPRK despite the escalating controversy between the two nations.

He said the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will discuss with a DPRK mission who are now in Kuala Lumpur to seek ways to deal with the issue.

The diplomatic tensions between the two countries broke out three weeks after the death of a DPRK citizen whose name was Kim Chol in his passport.

Malaysia authorities believed the man was poisoned, while the DPRK affirmed he died of heart attack, diabetes and high blood pressure. The DPRK government and Ambassador to Malaysia Kang Chol have repeatedly accused Malaysia of issuing inimical investigation conclusions and confirmed that they did not accept Kuala Lumpur’s investigation results.

On March 6, Ambassador Kang Chol was deported from Kuala Lumpur. The same day, the DPRK Ministry of Foreign Affairs also announced its decision to expel Malaysian Ambassador Mohamad Nizan Mohamad.

A day later, Kuala Lumpur decided to prohibit all DPRK citizens, including the DPRK Embassy’s staff, from leaving Malaysia after a similar ban imposed by Pyongyang earlier.-VNA