Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at a press conference in Islamabad, Pakistan, on March 26 (Photo: EPA/VNA) Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is currently on a two-day official visit to Malaysia, his first trip to this country since he took office in 2013.
The visit on October 7-8, made at the invitation of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, is part of Rouhani’s tour of Southeast Asia with other stops in Vietnam and Thailand.
It is aimed at reaffirming and further strengthening bilateral ties between Malaysia and Iran. Both sides are expected to take stock of, as well as expand the scope and substance of bilateral relations in various fields such as trade, investment, oil, energy, education, capacity building and tourism, according to Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry.
After a bilateral meeting, President Rouhani and PM Razak are scheduled to witness the signing of an extradition treaty between the two countries.
Trade between Malaysia and Iran has been on an upward trend since the outset of 2016. It totalled 1.03 billion RM (250.03 million USD) between January and June, rising by 11.7 percent from the same period last year.
Malaysia’s major exports to Iran in 2015 were palm oil, chemicals and chemical products, and crude natural rubber. Meanwhile, Iran mainly imported agricultural products, petroleum products, and crude fertilisers and minerals from Malaysia.-VNA
