KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 — Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin arrived in Kuwait yesterday for an official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and defence cooperation between Malaysia and Kuwait.

He was welcomed at Kuwait International Airport by Malaysia’s Ambassador, Alauddin Mohd Nor, and the Chief of the General Staff of the Kuwaiti Army, Lieutenant- General Bandar Salem Abdullah Al-Muzayan.

In a Facebook post, Mohamed Khaled said he is scheduled to meet with Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and his counterpart, Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior.

"This visit provides a vital opportunity to strengthen defence cooperation and discuss new initiatives beneficial to both countries,” he said.

The Malaysian delegation includes Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) chief General Tan Sri Mohd Asghar Khan Goriman Khan, Ministry of Defence (Mindef) deputy secretary-general (Policy) Mohd Yani Daud, and senior officials from Mindef and the RMAF.

In a related development, Mohamed Khaled said Malaysia is in negotiations with Kuwait to acquire F/A-18 Legacy Hornet aircraft from the Kuwaiti Air Force (KAF) for the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF).

These discussions were initiated following the visit of Kuwaiti Ambassador to Malaysia, Rashed Mohammed Rashed Al-Saleh, who highlighted the acquisition as a means to enhance defence relations between the two nations.

This initiative aims to strengthen Malaysia’s national defence while fostering closer cooperation in defence technology between Malaysia and Kuwait. — Bernama