PUTRAJAYA: Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir will be embarking on his inaugural official visit to Iraq from Wednesday (Aug 23) to Friday (Aug 25) after receiving an invitation from his counterpart, Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations Affairs and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Fuad Hussein, according to a statement issued by the Malaysian Foreign Ministry (Wisma Putra) on Wednesday.
Zambry is scheduled to have a courtesy meeting with Iraqi leaders and conduct bilateral discussions with Fuad, building upon conversations held during the Ministerial Meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) on July 5, 2023.
The purpose of the visit is to enhance Malaysia’s longstanding bilateral relationship with Iraq and explore potential areas of cooperation for both nations. The statement from Wisma Putra highlighted that the visit will present an excellent opportunity to further strengthen ties and explore new avenues for mutual interest.
In addition to the diplomatic engagements, Zambry will also engage with the Iraqi business community to explore economic prospects and opportunities between the two countries, as stated in the announcement.
This visit signifies Zambry’s inaugural official visit to Iraq since taking office on December 2, 2022. The Foreign Minister will be joined by senior officials from the Foreign Ministry and a delegation from Malaysian businesses.
Malaysia maintains a significant trade relationship with Iraq, ranking it as the country’s sixth largest trading partner and seventh largest source of imports amongst West Asian nations. In 2022, the total trade value amounted to RM4.68bil (US$1.07bil), representing a 24.3 percent increase from RM3.76bil (US$0.91bil) in 2021, according to Bernama.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
