IRAN - MALAYSIA

Malaysian PM terms prospect of ties with Iran as bright
Tehran, Dec 23, IRNA

Iran-Malaysia-Press Confab
Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said here on Tuesday that prospect of Tehran-Kuala Lumpur cooperation is bright and growing.
Badawi, who arrived in Tehran on Sunday at the head of high- ranking delegation, made the remarks in a joint press conference with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Trade between the two states stand at over dlrs one billion, he said, adding that the Islamic Republic of Iran is Malaysia's third trade partner in the Middle East.
Malaysian premier said that Tehran and Kuala Lumpur, through close cooperation, can settle the existing problems in the areas of food supplies and environment and ways to deal with the world financial crisis.
The Iranian president said the two countries enjoy amicable relations. There is no obstacle in the way of boosting trade, scientific investment and technical cooperation.
On sanctions imposed on Iran, he said since the sanctions were illegally imposed on the Iranian nation by certain bullying powers, it was natural to be neutralized by the people.
"The Iranian nation welcomed the sanctions and turned them to an opportunity for their progress," Ahmadinejad reiterated.
Praising scientific and technological achievements of the Iranian nation in all areas, he said that the nation gained such achievements through self-belief, independence from other countries and expansion of ties with the friendly countries.
He reiterated that the unfair and unilateral international system is the root cause of global monetary crisis.
Such unfair systems have proved inefficient to solve the existing problems facing the world nations, Ahmadinejad said.
(This news from IRNA, Iran.)