Malaysia's bilateral and economic ties with UAE continue to grow

NEW YORK - Malaysia’s strong bilateral and economic ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) continue to grow, with trade and investment on the rise.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said the UAE stands as Malaysia's largest trading partner and foreign investor among West Asian countries.

According to him, from January to April 2023, total trade between the two countries rose by 5.7 per cent, from RM11.25 billion (US$2.67 billion) to RM11.89 billion (US$2.70 billion).

"The positive investment figure indicates the close relationship between the two countries,” he said here.

On Monday, Zambry met his UAE counterpart, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on the sidelines of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) taking place here.

He said various issues were discussed, including the Joint Committee for Cooperation between Malaysia and the UAE, as well as expediting the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) prior to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's visit to the UAE.

As for the Conference of the Parties to the Convention (COP28), the UAE requested Malaysia's support regarding the preservation of the mangrove forests under the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG2030) agenda, he said.

"Insya-Allah, many things will be unveiled during the Prime Minister's official visit to the UAE in the future,” he added.

The foreign minister also met Hungary’s Foreign and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto, and Rwanda’s Foreign and International Cooperation Minister Vincent Biruta. - BERNAMA