Malaysian PM visits Philippines

Malaysian PM visits Philippines

PHILIPPINES: Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
arrived on Monday for a visit to the Philippines after a brief
visit to Laos.

Agenda to be discussed during his visit will include, among
other things, anti-terror cooperation and efforts to forge peace
with Filipino Muslim rebels, officials said.

In his first trip to Manila since assuming power on Oct. 31,
Badawi will meet Philippine President Gloria Arroyo at the
Malacanang palace for talks on Tuesday before returning home.

Badawi and Arroyo would discuss "security concerns of our two
countries because we are both involved in the fight against
terrorism," presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said ahead of
Abdullah's arrival.

Upcoming peace talks between Manila and the separatist Moro
Islamic Liberation Front being brokered by Malaysia are also
expected to top the agenda of the talks, he said.

During his brief visit to Laos earlier in the day Badawi held
talks with his Lao counterpart Boungnang Vorachit, Khamtay
Siphandone, the Bernama news agency reported.

It was the first visit to the country by a Malaysian premier
since Laos joined the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) in 1997. -- AFP