PUTRAJAYA (Malaysia), Oct 8 (NNN-Bernama) — Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah will host his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi during his two-day working visit to Malaysia starting Saturday.
According to the Foreign Ministry, this is Hayashi’s first visit to Malaysia since being appointed as Japan’s Foreign Affairs Minister in November 2021.
Both ministers are scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting to review the progress in furthering the long-standing and multi-faceted ties between Malaysia and Japan.
“In May 2022, Malaysia and Japan have agreed to elevate its relations from Strategic Partnership to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during Prime Minister’s official working visit to Japan,” said the ministry in a statement Saturday.
During the meeting, it noted that both ministers will be discussing ways to expand further various areas of cooperation including economic and trade, education, culture, human capital development as well as re-establishing people to-people contact.
The two foreign ministers will also exchange views on various regional and international issues of common interest.
The ministry said Hayashi’s two-day visit is timely as it coincides with the 40th anniversary of Malaysia’s Look East Policy (LEP) and 65 years of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and Japan.
“The visit also adds new impetus in further exploring untapped areas of potential for the mutual benefit of both countries,” it added.
In 2021, Japan was Malaysia’s fourth largest trading partner with trade valued at US$36 billion. As of last year, Japan is Malaysia’s third largest foreign investor in the manufacturing sector for implemented projects valued at US$27.6 billion.
