Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak will undertake an official visit to Japan from 24 to 26 May 2015 on the invitation of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The Prime Minister and his wife Rosmah Mansor will be accompanied by Liow Tiong Lai, Minister of Transport; Idris Jala, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Ali

Hamsa, Chief Secretary to the Government of Malaysia and senior sovernment

officials.

While in Tokyo, he and Rosmah will have an audience with their Majesties, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan.

Najib and Abe will hold a bilateral summit meeting to discuss pertinent issues in bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and international issues of common interest.

Bilateral relations between Malaysia and Japan have expanded in various areas of cooperation encompassing economic, investment, education, tourism, science and technology as well as culture and people to people exchanges since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1957.

Both countries enjoy robust trade ties and Japan was Malaysia’s third largest trading partner in 2014 with bilateral trade valued at RM 137.45 billion.

Japan has also been one of Malaysia’s top sources of foreign direct investments in the manufacturing sector since 1980.

Najib is also scheduled to host a roundtable meeting with the captains of industry and have a dialogue session with students at the Tohoku University in Sendai, which is one of the top universities in Japan.

The visit will create momentum in bilateral relations and reaffirm the necessity of further efforts to enhance relations between both countries, which would advance cooperation in various areas in a more concerted and comprehensive manner.

Based on mutual recognition of the importance of the Look East Policy (LEP), Malaysia and Japan will focus on economic cooperation, particularly on new areas of growth, in line with the development priorities of both countries under the expanded LEP2.0.

The summit meeting between both leaders is also expected to catalyse a new impetus in Malaysia-Japan relations and both leaders are scheduled to hold a joint press session at the end.

- Bernama