Washington aims to strengthen ties with KL<\/p>\n
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (Reuter): U.S. Secretary of State
\nWarren Christopher, in Kuala Lumpur for talks expected to focus
\non Bosnia and American investment, said yesterday he aimed to
\nstrengthen ties "with this dynamic country".<\/p>\n
"I have come to Malaysia today to strengthen the ties between
\nthe United States and this dynamic country," he said at a
\nceremony celebrating recent U.S.-Malaysian commercial deals.<\/p>\n
"As Malaysia has grown, so have the dimensions of our
\npartnership. Our expanding trade and investment links are
\nbringing great benefits to both our nations.<\/p>\n
"Our growing security relationship contributes to stability in
\nthe region. And our exchanges in education and research are
\nsignificant and expanding."<\/p>\n
Christopher was later due to meet Prime Minister Mahathir
\nMohamad, whom he called "a leader of great vision and
\nachievement", and American businessmen.<\/p>\n
He also planned to attend the signing of a new extradition
\ntreaty that American officials said would allow both countries to
\n"bring to justice a wider array of criminal offenders".<\/p>\n
U.S.-Malaysian trade exceeds US$20 billion annually. Malaysia
\nis the United States' 13th largest trading partner, while the
\nUnited States is Malaysia's second largest trading partner and
\nleading foreign investor.<\/p>\n
Christopher had contacts with Malaysian Foreign Minister
\nAbdullah Ahmad Badawi in recent days at the Association of
\nSoutheast Asian Nations (ASEAN) annual conference in Brunei,
\nwhere Badawi made impassioned comments about the war in Bosnia
\nand United Nations failures there.<\/p>\n
Bosnia, a major headache for Christopher during his 2 1\/2 year
\ntenure, was expected to come up again last night when Christopher
\nattends a working dinner hosted by Badawi, U.S. officials said.<\/p>\n
Malaysia, like many Moslem countries, is outraged the world
\nhas not done more to defend Bosnian Moslems, who have fewer heavy
\nweapons than their Bosnian Serb rivals and have seen Bosnian
\nSerbs capture more than 70 percent of the country.<\/p>\n
Malaysia has troops among the UN peacekeepers in Bosnia.<\/p>\n
Christopher, speaking with reporters in Brunei on Wednesday,
\nsaid he was not surprised that Bosnia figured so prominently and
\npassionately at the ASEAN meeting.<\/p>\n
"I am never surprised when Bosnia follows me wherever I am. I
\ncertainly knew of the deep concern the OIC (Organization of
\nIslamic Countries) feel about Bosnia. It's a concern all of us in
\nthe world feel about it. It's a dreadful situation. It's a
\nhorrific situation," he said.<\/p>\n
As he did in his ASEAN meetings, Christopher noted that NATO
\nand the Europeans have recently toughened their approach to
\nBosnia by threatening air strikes and deploying a more muscular
\nrapid reaction force to help defend UN peacekeepers.<\/p>\n
"We're all grasping for ways to deal with it (the crisis)
\neffectively. The person who thinks he has a perfect solution to
\nBosnia is probably fooling himself because it is an impenetrable
\nsituation," Christopher said.<\/p>\n
U.S.-Malaysian relations have improved during the Clinton
\nadministration, which has taken a more liberal view to the East
\nAsian Economic Council (EAEC) pushed by Mahathir than the
\npreceding Bush administration.<\/p>\n
The Bush team saw the EAEC as a threat to the Asia-Pacific
\nEconomic Cooperation forum backed by the United States.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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