RIYADH
,
Saudi Arabia
,
Jan. 19
/CNW/ - Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was conferred the
King Abdulaziz Sash Order
of Merit of the First Class, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's highest honour, by
King Abdullah Abdulaziz Al
Saud in
Riyadh
, which the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said "is granted to crown princes and prime ministers of brotherly and friendly countries".
Notable leaders who received the award in the past include
President Barack Obama
of the
United States
and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
The event took place at the Conference Palace where Najib had an audience with the Saudi King in conjunction with his official four-day state visit to
Saudi Arabia
from Wednesday 13th - Saturday 16th January.
"I would like to express my deepest gratitude to His Majesty for the award. I consider this as a manifestation of the close relations enjoyed between
Saudi Arabia
and
Malaysia
," Najib told reporters before departing for
Abu Dhabi
and on to
India
.
Najib said the award also signified vast potential for cooperation that could be forged between the two Islamic nations, not only for their common benefit but also for the larger Muslim community.
"We also appreciate that some parties in
Saudi Arabia
are keen to invest in
Malaysia
, like PetroSaudi International Ltd which has established a joint venture with 1Malaysia Development Bhd," he said.
He had a two-hour discussion with Saudi
King Abdullah Abdulaziz Al
Saud during which the King noted that he wanted
Malaysia
to be the gateway for the country's interest in the region.
King Abdullah
discussed Malaysia's special relations with
China
and noted that
Malaysia
can help it facilitate more trade links with the Asian giant.
On
King Abdullah
's initiative for promoting inter-faith dialogue, Najib said
Malaysia
too was keen on forging greater understanding among people of many different faiths and beliefs. Najib and the Saudi King also discussed developments in
Afghanistan
and terrorism.
"There is a need for our two countries to seek greater cooperation to deal with the threat of terrorism in all its forms," Najib said, adding that a formal pact on this may be on the cards.
Contact Details
Hazatul Abdullah
+44-20-7038-0969
For further information: Hazatul Abdullah, +44-20-7038-0969
Share this article