Blinken to visit Malaysia from Dec 14-15

PUTRAJAYA: Secretary of State of the United States (US) Antony Blinken will visit Malaysia from Dec 14 to 15.

Malaysian Foreign Ministry (Wisma Putra) in a statement on Wednesday said Secretary Blinken, who is on his inaugural visit here, will be received by Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah.

He is scheduled to call on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob during the visit.

International and regional issues of common concerns will also be addressed during the visit, the statement said.

According to Wisma Putra, the visit will provide an excellent opportunity for Malaysia and the US to further strengthen the multifaceted cooperation and explore new joint initiatives.

The US-Malaysia Comprehensive Partnership continues to be an overarching framework for pro-active, multifaceted, and mutually beneficial collaboration between the two countries.

The ongoing active collaboration in areas such as trade and investment, digital and green economy, cyber-security, defense, health, tourism, education, and people-to-people ties has brought tremendous benefits to both sides.

The US is one of Malaysia's major trading partners and investors.

In 2020, Malaysia-US trade was valued at RM178.18 billion, while the total amount of investments approved from the US in the manufacturing sector in Malaysia was valued at RM3.7 billion.

Meanwhile, a media advisory from the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur said Secretary Blinken's visit to Malaysia is part of his travel itinerary to the region from 13-16 Dec, which also includes Indonesia and Thailand.

In Jakarta, the Secretary will deliver remarks on the significance of the Indo-Pacific region and underscore the importance of the U.S.-Indonesia Strategic Partnership.

In Malaysia, he would advance the U.S.-Malaysia partnership on addressing shared challenges, including COVID-19, building resilient supply chains, and ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

In Thailand, Secretary Blinken will reaffirm the U.S. commitment to the U.S.-Thailand treaty alliance, working toward post-pandemic economic recovery, and addressing the climate crisis.

The advisory added that in each country, Secretary Blinken will also address the worsening crisis in Burma.

-- BERNAMA