KUALA LUMPUR: Bilateral relations, trade matters, terrorism and international issues of mutual concern were the focus of discussions in a meeting between Malaysia’s Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and visiting US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in the Malaysian capital, Tuesday evening.
Tillerson kicked off his two-day working visit to Malaysia with a meeting with Najib at the premier’s office in Parliament building immediately after he landed at an air base in the outskirts of the federal capital.
The 50-minute meeting, a signal of an affirmation of the commitment by the United States of America under President Donald Trump’s administration to strengthen bilateral ties, was also attended by Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman and US ambassador to Malaysia, Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir.
Tillerson is the first senior official of the Trump administration to visit Malaysia.
This is Tillerson’s inaugural visit to Malaysia since his appointment as Secretary of State on Feb 1.
“The visit will provide the opportunity for both Malaysia and the United States to discuss and exchange views on a wide range of bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest,” Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry, also known as Wisma Putra, said in a statement Monday.
Malaysia and the United States enjoy excellent relations with substantial collaboration and cooperation in many areas.
For the period of January to May 2017, total bilateral trade grew 23.3 per cent to RM68.2 billion (US$15.4 billion) compared to RM55.3 billion (US$13.5 billion) during the corresponding period in 2016.
Tillerson will call on Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on Wednesday.
Tillerson has been in this region since Aug 5. He travelled to Manila to take part in several regional meetings, including the ASEAN Regional Forum and the US-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting. He was in Thailand prior to his visit to Malaysia.
– BERNAMA