Australian foreign minister hails relationship with Malaysia

Jul 5, 2009, 5:16 GMT

   Sydney - Australia and Malaysia have put past troubles behind them and are the best of friends, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Sunday.

   Speaking ahead of his visit to Kuala Lumpur this week with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Smith said cooperation was the way forward.

   'The relationship in recent historical terms has had its moments,' Smith said on local television. 'We want to put that, and have put that, behind us, but it is, we think, open to both Australia and Malaysia to enhance and further entrench a very good relationship.'

   Mahathir Mohamad, who resigned in 2003, didn't make an official visit to Australia in the 22 years he was prime minister. He came close to breaking off diplomatic relations after Australian premier Paul Keating called him 'recalcitrant' in 1993 for refusing to attend a regional gathering in the United States.

   Rudd starts a six-day overseas trip on Monday with his first face-to-face meeting with Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. People smuggling, the global recession and Rudd's faltering campaign for a new Asia-Pacific community will feature in their talks.

   Smith said it was unusual for the prime minister and the foreign minister to visit simultaneously. 'But we want to underline the importance of the relationship we have with Malaysia,' he said.

   Smith would be on his first official visit to Malaysia and would hold his first meeting with Foreign Minister Datuk Anifah Aman.

   'Mr Anifah and I will hold the inaugural Australia-Malaysia Foreign Ministers' Meeting,' Smith said. 'Australia and Malaysia will hold the meeting regularly. It will serve as the principal ministerial forum for the bilateral relationship.'