KUALA LUMPUR: US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she and her congressional delegation were honoured to be received by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah.
In a statement, she said both sides also engaged in a wide-ranging discussion on advancing shared goals for a free and secure Indo-Pacific.
“The Prime Minister’s meeting followed an inter-parliamentary exchange presided over by Speaker of the Malaysian Parliament Tan Sri Azhar (Azizan) Harun. The discussion included security challenges, economic opportunities and governance priorities.
“In each of our meetings, we extended an appreciation for Malaysia’s vote at the United Nations on Russia’s aggression and its leadership in Asean on repudiating Burma (Myanmar) for its deadly crackdown on dissent.
“Our governance conversations centred on integrity in government, addressing the climate crisis and fighting Covid-19,” she said in the statement provided by the US Embassy here after the meeting with Ismail Sabri, reported Bernama.
Pelosi said both countries agreed to continue collaborating on shared security interests, economic priorities, trade, human-trafficking and climate issues.
Late last night, Pelosi’s plane touched down in Taipei, with the Speaker saying that her visit was to “honour America’s unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan’s vibrant democracy.”
“Our discussions with Taiwan’s leadership reaffirms our support for our partner & promotes our shared interests, including advancing a free & open Indo Pacific region,” she tweeted.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry had said earlier that in the event Pelosi visited Taiwan, Beijing will take decisive measures to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the United States will be fully responsible for all the consequences resulting from the visit.