PUTRAJAYA, Dec 8 — Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah will undertake his first working visit to the Philippines since assuming the post, for three days starting today, said Wisma Putra.
“The visit will provide opportunities for the ministers to discuss bilateral cooperation, as well as regional and international issues of mutual interests and issues that were discussed during Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s official visit to Manila in March this year,” it said in a statement here today.
During the visit, Saifuddin is scheduled to meet his counterpart, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines, Teodoro L. Locsin Jr.
“The Philippines is Malaysia’s fourth largest trading partner among Asean countries, and fifteenth largest trading partner in the world. Malaysia’s total trade with the Philippines in 2018 recorded a significant growth of 8.8 per cent amounting to US$6.45 billion (RM26.8 billion) from US$5.93 billion in 2017.
“Exports grew by 8.4 per cent to US$4.17 billion, while imports expanded by 8.7 per cent to US$4.17 billion,” it said. — Bernama
