SYRIAN PM TO VISIT MALAYSIA WEDNESDAY

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 6 (Bernama) -- Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Naji Otri
will make a two-day official visit to Malaysia starting Wednesday, the Foreign
Ministry said.

The visit is to reciprocate Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's trip to
Syria in February 2007, it said in a statement.

While here, Mohammed Naji would hold a bilateral meeting with Abdullah and
attend a meeting of Syrian and Malaysian delegations in Putrajaya.

He is scheduled to have an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku
Mizan Zainal Abidin at the Istana Negara and deliver a keynote address to
Malaysian corporate leaders at a conference organised by the Construction
Industry Development Board.

His other programmes include a visit to the monorail, Multimedia Development
Corporation and KL International Airport.

The ministry said the trip was to enhance and expand cooperations and
relations in trade, investment, education, construction and Islamic banking.

The visit would also give opportunities for leaders of both countries to
exchange views on regional and global issues which Malaysia and Syria had common
interests, the statement said.

He would be accompanied by four ministers, a deputy minister, several senior
officials and media representatives.
-- BERNAMA