US state secretary: Well done, Malaysia!
PETALING JAYA: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says he is impressed by Malaysia’s economic development and dynamism.
“We’re proud of our strong partnership with American companies that do business here,” he said in a series of tweets yesterday.
Pompeo also congratulated Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the Malaysian people on a successful election and a smooth transition of power.
He added that he looked forward to deepening the partnership between the two countries on a range of issues.
“Our team at @usembassykl works nonstop to strengthen bonds with #Malaysians of all backgrounds, providing a solid foundation to advance mutual economic and strategic interests across the #indopacific with democratic #Malaysia Thank you, team! #meetwithmike,” he said.
Earlier, Pompeo called on Dr Mahathir in Putrajaya for talks as part of his twoday inaugural visit to Malaysia.
Pompeo, who arrived for the meeting at 9am, was accompanied by US Ambassador to Malaysia Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir.
Pompeo is the most senior US official to visit Dr Mahathir since his election victory.
He arrived in Malaysia on Thursday to kick off his fiveday tour to three SouthEast Asian countries.
The United States established diplomatic ties with Malaysia in 1957 following Malaya’s independence from Britain.
Washington and Kuala Lumpur elevated bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Partnership in April 2014.
“The visit provides a great opportunity for both Malaysia and the United States of America to discuss a wide range of bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest,” said a Wisma Putra statement.