950803

Christopher aims to

strengthen ties

with Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: US Secretary of State Warren Christopher, in Kuala Lumpur for talks expected to focus on Bosnia and American investment, said on Thursday he aimed to strengthen ties "with this dynamic country".

"I have come to Malaysia today to strengthen the ties between the United States and this dynamic country," he said at a ceremony celebrating recent US-Malaysian commercial deals.

"As Malaysia has grown, so have the dimensions of our partnership. Our expanding trade and investment links are bringing great benefits to both our nations.

"Our growing security relationship contributes to stability in the region. And our exchanges in education and research are significant and expanding."

Christopher was later due to meet Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, whom he called "a leader of great vision and achievement", and American businessmen.

He also planned to attend the signing of a new extradition treaty that American officials said would allow both countries to "bring to justice a wider array of criminal offenders".

US-Malaysian trade exceeds $20 billion annually. Malaysia is the United States' 13th largest trading partner, while the United States is Malaysia's second largest trading partner and leading foreign investor.

Christopher had contacts with Malaysian Foreign Minister Abdullah Badawi in recent days at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) annual conference in Brunei, where Badawi made impassioned comments about the war in Bosnia and United Nations failures there.

Bosnia, a major headache for Christopher during his 2 1/2 year tenure, is expected to come up again on Thursday night when Christopher attends a working dinner hosted by Badawi, US officials said.

Malaysia, like many Moslem countries, is outraged the world has not done more to defend Bosnian Moslems, who have fewer heavy weapons than their Bosnian Serb rivals and have seen Bosnian Serbs capture more than 70 percent of the country.

Malaysia has troops among the UN peacekeepers in Bosnia.-Reuter