PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob is scheduled to hold the first face-to face meeting with his counterpart Fumio Kishida on his official working visit to Japan from 23rd -28th May 2022.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, this will be the first meeting between the two leaders since they assumed office in 2021.
“The meeting will provide an opportunity for both sides to discuss initiatives to further strengthen Malaysia-Japan long standing relations and multifaceted collaboration.
“High on the agenda includes the Look East Policy’s 40th Anniversary commemoration, re-establishing people-to-people connection, and post COVID-19 cooperation,” the Ministry said in a statement here today.
The statement added, the two leaders will also exchange views on the importance of international order and regional stability.
Malaysia and Japan will conclude Memoranda of Cooperation in three areas involving the aircraft industry, skilled workers, as well as youth and sports.
The Prime Minister will be accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah; Senior Minister of International Trade and Industry, Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali; Minister of Human Resources, Datuk Seri M. Saravanan; Minister of Federal Territories, Datuk Seri Dr. Shahidan Kassim; Minister of Youth and Sports, Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu; Datuk Seri (Dr.) Richard Riot Anak Jaem, Special Envoy of the Prime Minister to East Asia; Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Haji Mohamad, Deputy Minister I, Ministry of Rural Development, and senior government officials.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister will also be hosting engagement sessions with the business community and Keluarga Malaysia Hari Raya celebration in Japan.
According to the Ministry’s statement, at the invitation of Nikkei Inc., Prime Minister will attend the “27th International Conference on The Future of Asia,” an annual gathering of political and economic leaders and captains of industry from the Asia Pacific region.
“Prime Minister will deliver a keynote address on the theme “Redefining Asia’s role in a divided world”. Prime Minister’s attendance at the 27th Nikkei Conference will provide a platform for Malaysia to share ideas and engage in initiatives aimed at greater economic cooperation between countries in the region.
“The visit reflects the importance of the Malaysia–Japan relations as both countries commemorate the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 40th Anniversary of the Look East Policy (LEP) this year.
“In 2021, Japan was Malaysia’s fourth largest trading partner with trade valued at RM149 billion (USD36 billion). As of 2021, Japan is Malaysia’s third largest foreign investor in the manufacturing sector for implemented projects valued at RM90.9 billion (USD27.6 billion),” the statement said.-Malaysia World News
