Malaysian FM to visit Vietnam

Malaysian FM to visit Vietnam

KUALA LUMPUR (DPA): Malaysian Foreign Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said yesterday he will make an eight-day trip beginning tomorrow to Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia to strengthen bilateral relations.

The state-run Bernama national news agency quoted Abdullah as saying his trip is aimed at broadening two-way ties in all areas including trade, economic and political cooperation, and culture.

He will visit Vietnam from Oct. 17-20 where he will co-chair the second Malaysia-Vietnam joint commission meeting on bilateral issues, Myanmar from Oct. 20-22, and Cambodia from Oct. 22-24, where he will attend a ceremony to mark the fifth anniversary of the Paris peace accord, which ended the Cambodian conflict.

Abdullah's visit to Myanmar is his first, but he said he did not plan to raise Myanmar's bid to join ASEAN next year as it is not a "priority topic" for discussion with Myanmar's officials.