By Nina Muslim
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 27 (Bernama) -- US Ambassador to Malaysia Edgard D. Kagan praised Malaysia for the welcome and warmth the people extended to US President Donald Trump, saying the visit opens a new chapter in the Malaysia-US relationship.
"I think the most important (thing) is we are elevating the relationship to the next level. I think what we're seeing is the US-Malaysia relationship coming together in a number of really key areas," he said.
The American president was in Kuala Lumpur to finalise trade deals and oversee the Cambodia-Thailand peace accord at the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits.
Speaking at a press conference at the Ritz-Carlton today, Kagan said the president was impressed with Malaysia.
"One of the things the President told Prime Minister (Datuk Seri) Anwar right as they were saying goodbye today, is he was talking about how happy he was that people all over the world have had a chance to see how great Malaysia is," he said.
He said President Trump was impressed by what he saw during his visit to Kuala Lumpur to attend the first day of the ASEAN Summit.
He added that the visit has shown that Malaysia is not only a great place to visit but also a really strong partner for the US.
"I think it reflects that … despite the fact that over the years we've had disagreements, there is still this tremendous affinity between the United States and Malaysia," he said.
Kagan also said the Malaysia-US Reciprocal Trade Agreement was beneficial to both countries.
During the visit, Trump and Anwar, as the chair of ASEAN, witnessed Thai and Cambodian Prime Ministers sign the KL Peace Accord, which puts an end to the violence.
Hostilities between the two countries flared into a military confrontation on July 24 before Malaysia brokered a ceasefire four days later.
Kagan praised the courage and determination of the two leaders "to do what is right for their peoples, to do what is right for their economies, and to do what is right for the region”.
Trump left Malaysia on Monday and his next stop on the one-week diplomatic tour is Japan, before leaving for South Korea.
-- BERNAMA
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