Chancellor Merkel commends Malaysia's success

German Chancellor Angela Merkel commended Malaysia’s success, economically and socially, calling the country a rising economy.

"Malaysia is a rising economy and one of the economies that is trying to catch up with the industrial economies.

"One can safely say that ever since its independence, it (Malaysia) is a success story, economically and socially speaking," she said in a joint press conference with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak after their bilateral meeting here on Tuesday.

Najib is here for his first official visit since taking office in 2009.

The three-day visit, beginning Monday, is on Merkel’s invitation.

Earlier, Najib, who is also Finance Minister, assured German businesses that Malaysia’s economy was on a firm footing with the economy projected to grow by 4.0 to 4.5 per cent in 2016.

The economy expanded by four per cent in the second quarter of this year following a 4.2 per cent growth in the first quarter of the year. - BERNAMA