PUTRAJAYA, May 16 — Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah will host his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan in conjunction with the latter’s three-day working visit to Malaysia starting tomorrow.

The Foreign Ministry (Wisma Putra), in a statement today, said both ministers are scheduled to meet and exchange views on broad-ranging bilateral, regional and international issues of common interest.

During the visit, Balakrishnan is also scheduled to have an audience with the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah.

The visiting minister will also meet with Senior Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, Chairman of National Recovery Council Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, and Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar.

"The visit by Dr Vivian Balakrishnan will provide an excellent opportunity for Malaysia and Singapore to further strengthen the longstanding relations and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries,” the statement read.

In 2021, Singapore was Malaysia’s second largest trading partner and the largest within Asean with total trade amounting to RM267.11 billion (US$64.43 billion) — an increase of 25.2 per cent compared to the recorded value in 2020. — Bernama