WASHINGTON: Malaysia and the United States’ relations achieved another milestone after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and President Barack Obama met for their first-ever bilateral talks, on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit here Monday.During the 40-minute encounter, the two leaders spoke of economic cooperation and Obama surprised with his knowledge of Malaysia’s New Economic Model (NEM) and its goal of transforming Malaysia into a high-income economy that was unveiled by Najib less than two weeks ago.
Source: Bernama
- President Obama complimented the Prime Minister for a sure-footed economic model and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton mentioned the possibility of future opportunities for US companies in Malaysia.
- Najib also gave his undertaking that Malaysia would participate actively in the Trans-Pacific Partnership initiated by the Obama administration to push for economic integration in the Asia-Pacific which accounts for 40 per cent of world trade.
- Moving on to international issues, Obama sought Malaysia’s assistance in the rebuilding of Afghanistan. They also touched on the concern among international community over Iran’s nuclear build-up.
- Obama lauded Malaysia’s recent passing of the Strategic Trade Bill to thwart illegal transactions of arms to prevent weapons proliferation. Najib reiterated that Malaysia would remain a strong opposer of weapons proliferation.
- He also briefed Obama on Malaysia’s success in containing the Jemaah Islamiah militant organisation linked to the al-Qaeda, the latest development in Asean which held its annual summit last week and the situation in southern Philippines and Thailand.
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