Media Release
5 July, 2009
Visit to Malaysia
I will visit Malaysia on Monday 6 and Tuesday 7 July to meet Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Anifah Aman.
Malaysia is a longstanding regional partner of Australia.
This will be my first official visit to Malaysia and my first meeting with Mr Anifah, who was appointed in April this year.
Mr Anifah and I will hold the inaugural Australia-Malaysia Foreign Ministers' Meeting. Australia and Malaysia will hold the meeting regularly. It will serve as the principal Ministerial forum for the bilateral relationship.
People-to-people links, particularly in education, are strong and enduring. Beginning with the 4000 Malaysians who came to Australia under the Colombo Plan, over 250,000 Malaysians have studied in Australia. In 2008 there were over 20,000 Malaysian students in Australia.
Malaysia is Australia's 11th largest trading partner. Our trading relationship will be further enhanced by the recently signed ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA). Australia and Malaysia are also negotiating a bilateral free trade agreement.
Australia and Malaysia cooperate closely across a range of areas of mutual interest, including defence, combating transnational crime such as people smuggling and drug trafficking, counter-terrorism, migration, education and tourism.
I look forward to discussing with Mr Anifah ways to expand this cooperation.
Mr Anifah and I will also discuss a range of regional and global issues, including security developments in the region, the continuing need for close cooperation in response to the global recession, and the importance of regional institutions like ASEAN and the East Asia Summit to these interests.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will also visit Malaysia on 6 July, before his meetings in Europe. I will accompany him to a meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Najib Razak.
Media inquiries:
- Mr Smith's office 02 6277 7500
- Departmental Media Liaison 02 6261 1555