ID :
37324
Thu, 12/25/2008 - 12:28
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/37324
The shortlink copeid
M'SIA TO FACILITATE VISA ISSUANCE FOR IRANIANS, SAYS M'SIAN PM ABDULLAH
From Muin Abdul Majid
TEHRAN, Dec 24 (Bernama) -- Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Wednesday that
efforts will be made to further facilitate the issuance of visa to Iranians
wishing to go to Malaysia.
The Malaysian prime minister said the move would translate into more
visitors from this Islamic republic of over 70 million people to the Southeast
Asian country.
"If the process is made easier, I think this will encourage more business
people and investors from Iran to head for Malaysia," he told a news conference
at the conclusion of his four-day official visit to Iran.
Abdullah and his wife, Jeanne Abdullah, later left for the
airport to catch their flight home.
The prime minister said his latest visit here had resulted in additional
measures that could be implemented to further enhance bilateral cooperation
between the two countries.
He was referring to the three agreements inked between Malaysia and Iran at
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's office yesterday, one of which allows
the Proton Gen.2 model to be assembled in Iran from April 2009.
Abdullah disclosed that he and the president agreed that Malaysia and
Iran should cooperate in the field of medical research with a view to producing
high quality herbal medicines.
On the green light given by the Malaysian government for Iran's Mellat Bank
to set up an offshore branch in Labuan, the prime minister said it should move
quickly to make it a reality.
"They should be ready. They have been asking how fast we can provide them
with the licence. Now that the licence has been given, there is no reason for
them to delay," he said, adding that the establishment of the bank would be
advantageous to Iranian businessmen and others.
Abdullah said Kuala Lumpur had also proposed to Iran to increase its palm
oil credit arrangement to enable the country to import more palm oil from
Malaysia.
"It's up to them to decide on how much credit they need," he said.
He expressed hope that the bilateral payment arrangement mechanism could be
used more widely to enhance trade and business activities between Malaysia and
Iran.
Abdullah said there was currently better understanding of policies and laws
pertaining to investment on both sides, and this could be seen in increased
bilateral trade volume which stood at more than US$1 billion last year, making
Iran Malaysia's number three trade partner in the Middle East.
To a question, he said not all goods and services came under the United
States-imposed sanction on Iran due to the latter's nuclear ambitions.
"Iran still needs a lof of products. So that's why we should increase our
trade with this country," he added.
Efforts should also be made to encourage tourism between Malaysia and Iran,
he said, adding that there was a need to increase the number of flights between
the two countries.
"So we'll have to talk to our airlines and see which one is keen to fly to
Iran," he said.
-- BERNAMA
TEHRAN, Dec 24 (Bernama) -- Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Wednesday that
efforts will be made to further facilitate the issuance of visa to Iranians
wishing to go to Malaysia.
The Malaysian prime minister said the move would translate into more
visitors from this Islamic republic of over 70 million people to the Southeast
Asian country.
"If the process is made easier, I think this will encourage more business
people and investors from Iran to head for Malaysia," he told a news conference
at the conclusion of his four-day official visit to Iran.
Abdullah and his wife, Jeanne Abdullah, later left for the
airport to catch their flight home.
The prime minister said his latest visit here had resulted in additional
measures that could be implemented to further enhance bilateral cooperation
between the two countries.
He was referring to the three agreements inked between Malaysia and Iran at
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's office yesterday, one of which allows
the Proton Gen.2 model to be assembled in Iran from April 2009.
Abdullah disclosed that he and the president agreed that Malaysia and
Iran should cooperate in the field of medical research with a view to producing
high quality herbal medicines.
On the green light given by the Malaysian government for Iran's Mellat Bank
to set up an offshore branch in Labuan, the prime minister said it should move
quickly to make it a reality.
"They should be ready. They have been asking how fast we can provide them
with the licence. Now that the licence has been given, there is no reason for
them to delay," he said, adding that the establishment of the bank would be
advantageous to Iranian businessmen and others.
Abdullah said Kuala Lumpur had also proposed to Iran to increase its palm
oil credit arrangement to enable the country to import more palm oil from
Malaysia.
"It's up to them to decide on how much credit they need," he said.
He expressed hope that the bilateral payment arrangement mechanism could be
used more widely to enhance trade and business activities between Malaysia and
Iran.
Abdullah said there was currently better understanding of policies and laws
pertaining to investment on both sides, and this could be seen in increased
bilateral trade volume which stood at more than US$1 billion last year, making
Iran Malaysia's number three trade partner in the Middle East.
To a question, he said not all goods and services came under the United
States-imposed sanction on Iran due to the latter's nuclear ambitions.
"Iran still needs a lof of products. So that's why we should increase our
trade with this country," he added.
Efforts should also be made to encourage tourism between Malaysia and Iran,
he said, adding that there was a need to increase the number of flights between
the two countries.
"So we'll have to talk to our airlines and see which one is keen to fly to
Iran," he said.
-- BERNAMA
