Najib calls ties with Kingdom strategic

Najib calls ties with Kingdom strategic Ghazanfar Ali Khan | Arab News

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah honors Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak with the King Abdul Aziz Sash of First Order at a reception in the king's palace in Riyadh on Saturday (SPA).   RIYADH: Key bilateral and regional issues with special reference to the plight of the Muslims in Palestine and elsewhere in the world topped the agenda on Saturday of the nearly two-hour talks between Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak. Najib also met with Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, and Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal. "The talks also focused on issues like Middle East peace process and Iran besides ways and means to further consolidate bilateral ties," said Malaysian Ambassador Syed Omar Mohammed Al-Saggaf. Najib, who wrapped up his four-day visit to the Kingdom on Saturday, was decorated with the King Abdul Aziz Medal of First Order, Saudi Arabia's highest civilian honor. "The talks also focused on how Malaysia can take advantage of ample economic opportunities offered by Saudi Arabia," said the diplomat after the talks. He said that Najib had termed the relations between the two Muslim countries as "very important and strategic." Several members of the royal family, ministers and officials from both countries attended the official lunch hosted by Prince Saud in honor of the Malaysian premier. Prince Saud underlined the need to boost cooperation in political consultations, trade, investment and tourism. This is the second visit of Najib, who came to power in April last year. Al-Saggaf quoted Najib as saying that the Kingdom's $144 billion budget for 2010 should "translate into attractive possibilities for Malaysian companies." "The visit is also a strong indication of Malaysia's keen interest in promoting closer interaction among the business communities of the two countries," Al-Saggaf added. Malaysia, he said, would like to stress its role as a center of excellence in education, especially for students from Saudi Arabia. Malaysia and Saudi Arabia last year set up a $2.5-billion joint venture company that will spearhead the flow of foreign direct investments and strategic investments in "high-impact" projects in Malaysia. The joint venture is between Malaysia Development Bhd and PetroSaudi International Limited. The Kingdom was Malaysia's second largest trading partner in the region in 2008, with total trade of 11.1 billion ringgit, or 20.3 percent of Malaysia's total trade with the region. "I hope that we'll be able to expand economic linkages between the two countries not only in terms of trade but also in areas like Islamic finance and insurance, halal food and real estate development," Najib was quoted as saying. Total trade between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia was close to $1.8 billion during January-November 2009. Najib said Malaysia was also eyeing more visitors as well as students and medical tourists from the Kingdom. "I believe that in terms of future prospects, Saudi Arabia holds wonderful opportunities for us and we must position ourselves well in this market," said the prime minister in a departure statement. Najib said there were positive vibes between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia that should lead to enhance bilateral ties.