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Japan-Malaysia Summit Meeting Friday, May 23, 2008 JAPANESE

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda held talks with Hon. Dato' Seri Abdullah Haji Ahmad Badawi, Prime Minister of Malaysia, at the Prime Minister's Office. At the beginning of the meeting, Prime Minister Fukuda welcomed Prime Minister Abdullah, by saying, "It is a great pleasure to have talks with Prime Minister Abdullah, who has implemented various special Japan policies, including the Look East Policy. Japan-Malaysia cooperation plays an extremely vital role in realizing an ASEAN Community. It is also a great pleasure that we see trade and investment between our two countries expanding under the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), as well as the advancement of cooperation to ensure security in the Straits of Malacca. In response, Prime Minister Abdullah expressed his gratitude when he said, "Malaysia and Japan enjoy good cooperative relations. The amount of investment from Japan to Malaysia has been increasing, especially after the conclusion of the EPA. It is my intention to further strengthen our countries' cooperation. I would sincerely like to ask Prime Minister Fukuda to visit Malaysia when there is such an opportunity." At the meeting, the two leaders agreed to cooperate not only on matters related to bilateral relations but also on international challenges, including the issue of peace in Mindanao, North Korean issues, climate change issues, and anti-terrorism and anti-piracy measures. Related link: Japan-Malaysia Relations (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)