MALAYSIA GETS GERMAN SUPPORT FOR FTA WITH EU

KUALA LUMPUR, May 14 (Bernama) -- Malaysia received German support in its talks to conclude the Malaysia-European Union Free Trade Agreement, said Minister of International Trade and Industry, Mustapa Mohamed.

"Malaysia is in the early stages of negotiating a Malaysia-EU FTA to further
facilitate trade and investment ties," he said in a statement issued by the
Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) here Thursday.

Mustapa said the European Union (EU) ranked fourth on Malaysia’s trading
partners list, and Germany was its largest EU-zone trade partner.

MITI said Mustapa and Germany's Deputy Minister of Economics and Technology,
Rainer Brüderle, discussed bilateral trade and opportunities in the
manufacturing and alternative energy sectors on the sidelines of the 12th
Asia-Pacific Conference of German Businesses, which is being held in Singapore
from May 13-15, 2010.

The ministry said Brüderle also pledged continued technical and development
cooperation.

"Brüderle also highlighted possible new areas for cooperation, particularly
in green technologies and alternative energy, during the meeting.

"During the meeting, Mustapa him on Malaysia’s New Economic Model reforms
and their importance in raising Malaysia’s competitiveness in the region," it
said.

Germany is one of the largest foreign investors in Malaysia.

At present, there are about 350 German companies with operations in
Malaysia, including some of the biggest German companies.

-- BERNAMA