Today, I am pleased to welcome Malaysia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, YB Dato' Seri Utama Haji Mohamad Bin Haji Hasan, to Melbourne for the seventh Australia-Malaysia Annual Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AFMM), in the year we celebrate the 70th anniversary of Australia's diplomatic presence in Malaysia.
The AFMM is an opportunity to strengthen cooperation under our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, including in trade and investment, defence and regional security, and governance and institutional reform.
I look forward to continuing discussions I had with Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan in Kuala Lumpur in July, and reiterating Australia's support for Malaysia as ASEAN Chair this year.
Australia is a modern multicultural nation, and we share extensive people-to-people ties with Malaysia. Over 172,000 people of Malaysian heritage call Australia home, and more than 500,000 Malaysians have studied in Australia.
Our two countries' longstanding partnership is grounded in a shared history of friendship and cooperation in support of a peaceful, stable, and prosperous region.
I look forward to deepening these ties through our discussions today.
