14 March 1996
E&OE...................
Ladies and gentleman I am very pleasced to wonfirm that the Malaysian Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir, will visit Australia on the 29th of March on his way back to Kuala Lumpur from New Zealand. I issued an imitation to him shortly after being sworn in and I am particularly pleased that so early in my Prime Ministership and so early in the life of the new Government there should be a top level Head of Government, the Head of Government contact between Australia and Malaysia.
The bilateral relationship between our two countries is important to us and I look forward to my talks with Dr Mahathir to discuss not only the bilateral relationship but also other matters of mutual interest in our region and global issues of concern and interest to both of us. It is important as I stressed during the election campaign to see the election of a Coalition Government as continuing the strong relationship between Australia and the nations of our region. We are strongly committd as the new Government of Australia to building ever
closer relationships with the nations-of our region, including Malaysia, and the fact that so early in the life of the new Government it has been-possible to arrange this visit is a matter of particular pleasure for me. It demonstrates the commitment I have and my Government has to the relationship between our two countries and the importanct we attach to close relations , with all the nations of our region.
Thank you.