MUSTAPA TO LEAD TRADE AND INVESTMENT MISSION TO EUROPE

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 21 (Bernama) -- International Trade and Industry Minister
Mustapa Mohamed will lead a trade and investment mission to Europe from Sept
25-Oct 1.

The ministry in a statement Wednesday said the mission, covering three major
cities, namely Milan, Stockholm and Oslo, is aimed at promoting trade and
investment opportunities in Malaysia as well as strengthening business
networking while establishing collaborative ventures.

It said during the mission, the Minister will meet with his counterparts in
all three locations as well as hold roundtable meetings and one-to-one
discussions with several top business leaders and captains of industry.

"Through the mission, Malaysia aims to invite investors from various
sectors in particular knowledge-based and high-tech industries including ICT,
renewable energy, industrial technology, oil and gas, food processing,
healthcare, chemical industries, telecommunications as well as machinery and
equipment," the ministry said.

Concurrent with the mission, it said Mustapa was also scheduled to co-chair
the First Malaysia-Italy Joint Economic Committee (JEC) Meeting with Italy's
Economic Development Minister, Paolo Romani.

The JEC Meeting will discuss the promotion of bilateral trade and investment
as well as identify areas of cooperation between both countries, it added.

Italy, Sweden and Norway are important trading partners and sources of
foreign investment for Malaysia, whereby last year, the three markets accounted
for 9.9 per cent of the country's trade with Western Europe and realised
investment projects amounted to 613.2 million euros (RM2.6 billion).

The mission delegation will comprise representatives from the ministry
itself and the public sector, such as, the Corridors Development Authorities,
the Malaysian Industrial Development Authority and Malaysia External Trade
Development Corporation as well as the private sector.