Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will visit US President George W Bush on July 19, the White House announced yesterday.

It will be the first meeting between the two men since Abdullah took office last November, according to the White House.

"The president and the prime minister will discuss ways to enhance our already strong relationship, which includes robust cooperation on a full range of bilateral, regional and international issues," the White House statement said.

Relations between Washington and Kuala Lumpur have been marked by differences over security in the Strait of Malacca after reports that the United States sought to deploy troops to secure maritime shipping.

Malaysian authorities said that such a move would violate the country's sovereignty.

US Admiral Thomas Fargo recently visited Malaysia to reassure officials that the reports were incorrect.

The Strait of Malacca is a narrow passage between the Indonesian island of Sumatra and the Malaysian peninsula. One-fourth of the world's trade, including oil, passes through it. Its also an important supply line for Japan, China and other northeast Asian economies. - AFP