SABAH WELCOMES GREATER INTERACTION WITH EU IN BROADER ASPECT

KOTA KINABALU (Sabah, Malaysia), March 24 (Bernama) -- The Sabah government
welcomes greater interaction with the European Union (EU) in a broader aspect,
not only in terms of trade and investments.

Chief Minister Musa Aman said the EU and the east Malaysian state of Sabah
could share ideas to move both regions forward by also adopting a common ground
on important issues such as sustainable development and green agenda.

"In a globalised world, fresh challenges will require us to constantly think
out of the box in order for us to improve ourselves.

"We would like to see greater interaction with the EU in fields such as
education, capacity building, exchange of information and human resource
development,” he said at a dinner for EU ambassadors in Malaysia, here Thursday
night in conjunction with their familiarisation visit to Sabah.

The text of his speech was read by Deputy Chief Minister Joseph Pairin
Kitingan.

Musa said although Sabah has been striving to develop its economy, the
government was also implementing efforts to ensure sustainable growth in the
state’s tourism and palm oil sectors while preserving and conserving the
environment.

"These sectors are all in one way or another linked to climate change and
green technology, which are issues of great significance to consumers in the
EU," he said.

The chief minister also hoped the EU would find interest in helping the
state to develop renewable energy and green technology through technical
collaboration and capacity building.

He said Sabah was seeking best solutions to address the critical power
supply it was facing while not hurting the environment.

"This is a state that is blessed with many natural attractions and resources
– both on land and at sea – and we are making every effort to ensure that we are
able to protect and conserve our rich heritage," he said.