PM Najib arrives in Berlin for threeday visit

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak arrived here today for a three-day official visit to Germany.
The visit, which is at the invitation of Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is also a key figure in the European Union, is Najib’s first as Malaysia’s premier. 


The plane carrying Najib and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, touched down at the Tegel Airport here at 2.35 pm local time (8.35 pm Malaysian time). They were received by, among others, Chief of Protocol, Federal Foreign Office of Germany Ambassador Juergen Christian Mertens, Malaysian Ambassador to Germany Datuk Zulkifli Adnan, his wife, Datin Siti Hawa Othman, and Deputy Chief of Mission Rus Shazila Osman. 


The prime minister’s delegation includes International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong, as well as senior government officials. 


Najib, who is also finance minister, is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Merkel, as well as meet key business leaders and Malaysians residing in Germany. Zulkifli had said that besides trade and investment-related issues, both leaders are expected to discuss on international terrorism, refugee and the South China Sea disputes. 


Najib will also visit the Wismar port city on Wednesday, where three shipyards in Warnemunde and Stralsund were acquired by Genting Hong Kong Ltd, a member of the Malaysian Genting Group, for RM1.04 billion in 2015. Germany is Malaysia’s largest investor from the European Union, with over 400 German companies 
currently operating in Malaysia. 


German companies had invested RM6.44 billion in Malaysia in the first six months of 2016 and about RM35 billion over the decade. Malaysia is Germany’s second biggest trading partner in ASEAN with a bilateral trade volume accounted for €11.8 billion (€1=RM4.60).

Source: NNA